


north face

by honeysugaboy



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Cute, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, cute yeonbin, inspired by the song north face, minimal angst, short story probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:46:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 54,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24111529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeysugaboy/pseuds/honeysugaboy
Summary: yeonjun is a hopeless romantic cashier at North Face who falls in love with customers more often than not. however this time around the customer likes him back.orchoi soobin doesn't take no for an answer when it comes to people he finds interesting.
Relationships: Choi Soobin & Choi Yeonjun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 499
Kudos: 791





	1. c

“Want some binoculars?” Taehyun snickers, almost sending Yeonjun three feet in the air out of surprise. “Or would a magnifying glass do?”

“Shut up,” Yeonjun’s cheeks tint bright pink, “Aren’t you supposed to be at the register?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be tagging these pants?” his coworker fires back without much bite then glances back towards the Handsome Guy™ Yeonjun had been ogling. “Do you know him?”

“No,” Yeonjun answers simply.

Taehyun hums knowingly before picking up a tag from the bucket beside Yeonjun and affixing it to the pant leg, “He’s new?” Yeonjun gives a single nod. “Looks like he should be a trainee or something.”

Yeonjun agrees. The Handsome Guy™ has an oval face with a square jaw and strong nose. His eyes are close set and doe-like, appearing black from how far away Yeonjun is, but he imagines they are actually a warm brown. His lips are small, bitten peach-y, likely caused by his habit of chewing them, something that has been extremely distracting for Yeonjun when he’s trying to focus elsewhere. He seems tall; comparatively he’s a good half foot taller than his friend accompanying him. He looks around the store with an extremely disinterested expression, as if he was forced to come and would rather be anywhere else. And it’s so hot.

“His friend’s not new at all though,” Yeonjun remarks, “He’s here every few months, always racking up a big bill.”

The friend in question squeals, lifting up a white puffer vest to the new comer. Handsome Guy™ doesn’t look surprised by the outburst in the slightest, which makes Yeonjun think that the friend must make noises like that often. They murmur for a few moments (Handsome Guy™’s voice considerably deeper in a tone that makes Yeonjun’s ASMR senses tingle) before the friend hangs the white puffer vest on his arm happily and continues to the other racks.

Yeonjun hisses, tugging at Taehyun’s sleeve when he realizes that Taehyun is still on his first pair of pants, “Can you stop staring before he notices?”

“Trust me, I’m sure he’s already noticed.”

“What?” Yeonjun peeks over towards Handsome Guy™ for what must be the millionth time since he’s entered the store, “He literally hasn’t looked over here once.”

“Doesn’t mean he can’t feel your creepy ass stare,” Taehyun retorts.

Yeonjun lifts up his tag gun threateningly, “Alright you little sh-”

“Excuse me?” Yeonjun nearly snaps his neck to turn to the source of the voice. “Do you have this jacket in red?” It’s the friend speaking, holding up a cropped black puffer jacket that they’d just gotten shipped in that morning.

Taehyun stays quiet and Yeonjun makes a mental note to clobber him when they’re closing later that night. “I can check the back for one,” Yeonjun puts on his customer service smile, “Is there a size you would like?”

The friend turns around and Yeonjun almost chokes when he asks Handsome Guy™, “What size?”

Handsome Guy™ makes direct eye contact, killing all of Yeonjun’s brain cells in the process and opens his mouth. It moves, Yeonjun definitely knows it does because he’s watching his pretty pink lips the entire time, but he hears absolutely nothing. 

Zip.

Zilch.

Nada.

Well, this is _not_ good.

Not good at all.

They continue to stare at each other, likely because Handsome Guy™ is waiting on a response, but what the _fuck_ did he just ask?

The silence stretches on for eons (more like ten seconds) before Taehyun answers for him, “They’re tighter than the average jacket since there’s so much padding so I’d suggest sizing up.”

“Oh, yes, yes. Size up,” Yeonjun agrees wholeheartedly just so he doesn’t look like a complete idiot.

Handsome Guy™ quirks a perfectly arched brow, “Okay,” his voice is smooth and deep, Yeonjun thinks he could listen to it forever, “In that case, I’ll take a large if you have one.”

It takes a few moments to register that Yeonjun indeed has to move in order to get said jacket. He drops his tag gun into the bucket, making sure to give Taehyun the finger as subtly as possible before heading to the back storage room, also lovingly nicknamed by the staff of North Face as The Pit. He slings the creaky metal door open and flicks the half blown out overhead lights on, picking up the flashlight on the nearby shelf to help expedite this process. He hovers the beam of light over the labels on the stack of boxes closest to the door until he finds the shipment from this morning then uses the janky box cutter attached to the end of his flashlight to cut away the tape and begin his search.

Yeonjun despises going to The Pit since it typically involves lugging massive boxes around in the dark, the damp smell of ass, possibly dead rats, and repeatedly cutting himself on cardboard flaps. But, with a little shit of a coworker like Taehyun, he finds himself back here more often than not, especially when there’s eye candy out front.

Yeonjun has been working at North Face since his sophomore year of college, almost three years in a few months. Partially because it pays well, is close to his apartment and he gets a 50% employee discount (but mostly because attractive people migrate to North Face like it is a homing beacon and Yeonjun is a hopeless romantic with an unhealthy habit of falling for strangers.) He enjoys his job for what it’s worth and his manager, Sejun, is as nice as they come. He even promoted Yeonjun to shift manager last year, which basically means he is a slightly higher paid babysitter for the entirety of his seven hour shifts on the weekends. Majority of the workers he oversees are fine; they get their work done and clean the store up without much of his direction at all. Probably because they see how Taehyun causes Yeonjun enough stress to age him by 40 years alone.

“Retro... Cypress... Thermoball,” Yeonjun thumbs through tags until finally he lands on, “Covernat! Okay, small, small, small,” He lifts the jackets, compressing them to the side to look deeper into the box, “Medium, medium... Ah, there you are.” He removes the large red jacket from beneath the pile of coats and recloses the box. He exits The Pit, placing the flashlight back on its designated shelf and yanking the stubborn door close. He surveys the store to find Taehyun now helping a customer near the shoe section and Hyejin tagging the pants they just hung. Handsome Guy™ has migrated to standing by the accessories, scrolling on his phone as his friend shifts through the folded beanies. 

“Sir? I found the jacket in red,” Yeonjun trains his line of vision to focus on the rack just behind Handsome Guy™’s head to keep from stuttering, “You might want to try it on to make sure it’s a good fit.” Being this close up makes Yeonjun realize that Handsome Guy™ is actually taller than him, by a full inch or so. The information short circuits his brain further.

“Ah,” he accepts the puffer from Yeonjun’s outstretched hand, “Thank you.”

Yeonjun stands there, partially because it’s protocol to make a sale and partially because he doesn’t think he can walk away if he even wanted to. To be honest Yeonjun never understood the appeal of padded jackets; he’d rather cozy up in a sherpa hoodie than sound like a plastic bag when walking around town, but Handsome Guy™ is making several valid points when he shrugs the coat on. The action accentuates his broad shoulders and the coat ties in his streetwear aesthetic perfectly.

“What do you think?”

“I-”

“It looks good!” his friend exclaims and Yeonjun wishes he could invisible ink his existence at that moment. “Is it comfortable?”

Handsome Guy™ stares at Yeonjun with an amused curve of his lips. Yeonjun’s heart does a backflip as he desperately avoids eye contact, absolutely mortified by the fact that his stupid brain thought he was being spoken to, “Were you saying something?”

Yeonjun shakes his head quickly, hands shaking excessively, “No, no, I-”

“Oh! You’re the worker that usually helps me when I shop!” the friend realizes with a squint, “Yeon... Yeon- Wait, don’t tell me!” Yeonjun closes his mouth as the friend places his chin on his fist, looking away to think, “Yeon... Jun? Yeonjun-ssi, right?” 

“Yes sir,” Yeonjun gives a slight bow.

“Well, what do you think? It’s nice, right?” He uses one hand to adjust the collar of the jacket. “He wanted to get a Thermoball, but this one fits his body type better.”

Yeonjun thinks Handsome Guy™ can make anything look good. But rather than embarrass himself for a second time by voicing this opinion, Yeonjun says, “Yes. It’s a good choice for his frame.”

The friend nods firmly in agreeance and Yeonjun is grateful to look away from Handsome Guy™’s taunting smirk, “Are you two ready to check out? No rush at all, just wanted to know since no one is on the register currently.”

The friend hums thoughtfully before nodding, “I think so. Do you want to look at anything else, hyung?”

Hyung, hm? So he’s older than his friend.

“I’m good.”

Yeonjun leads them to the checkout counter and scans his badge to unlock the register. “Do you have a loyalty card with us?” he asks, helping the friend place down his arm load of items. 

“Yeah, I do.”

Yeonjun clicks away the notification on his screen and starts to scan the clothes, “Go ahead and type in your number on that keypad for me,” he removes the hanger from the coats, tosses them into the bin beneath the counter. As he’s folding the items down, he can feel Handsome Guy™’s eyes on him and the attention is... more than distracting. When he ducks down to grab a large bag, he touches his hand to his cheek to confirm that they are, in fact, scolding hot. 

Love that for him.

“I can get you down here,” Hyejin says, rounding the counter and scanning her badge at the register next to Yeonjun. 

He tries not to make his relief obvious as he rises back to his feet and opens the paper bag. He starts to slot the items inside when Handsome Guy™ comes forward, placing his jacket onto the counter, dangerously close to Yeonjun’s hands. Yeonjun forces his expression to remain neutral while internally panicking because oh my GOD how are his hands so big? They’re massive, nearly double the size of Yeonjun’s and he can only imagine what a slap on the-

“Oh, I’m with him. Thank you though,” Handsome Guy™ politely bows, smiling at Hyejin and it takes everything in Yeonjun not to beg her to stay.

She just nods, returning the small bow and heading back to the rack she’d come from. Pretending to not even notice how Handsome Guy™’s dark eyes are attempting to swallow him whole, Yeonjun glances at his register when he’s done scanning the mountain of items to see an alert, “Beomgyu?”

The friend nods, “Yeah, that’s me.”

Yeonjun approves the account then notices that there’s a coupon, “Oh, the beanies are buy one, get one half off. Do you want to get another one?”

Beomgyu sucks in air through his teeth, head tilting in consideration, “Aish, I didn’t see a color I didn’t already have.”

“You could get it for a friend,” Yeonjun suggests, finishing folding the last item into the bag, “They’re nice gifts. It’s what I usually grab as a present for my friends in the wintertime.” It’s a complete lie, considering the fact that the beanies are still $35 with his employee discount and Yeonjun would rather spend that money on food than a stupid hat, but a sale is a sale.

Beomgyu seems sold, “Mm, hyung,” he turns to Handsome Guy™ who hums in acknowledgement, “Do you want a beanie?”

Handsome Guy™ scrunches his face, “Why would I-”

“There’s a red one that would go with your outfit,” Yeonjun interrupts, salesman mode activated, “It’s a timeless accessory.”

Handsome Guy™ does the stupid eyebrow lift thingy that makes Yeonjun want to reduce to a puddle on the spot, “Timeless huh?”

Yeonjun swallows, hopes it isn’t as audible as it feels, “Yeah.”

“Why red?”

“... To, uh, match your jacket.”

Beomgyu, clueless to the fact that Handsome Guy™ is just bullying poor Yeonjun at this point, adds, “You always complain about how cold your ears get when it’s winter and, since you refuse to wear earmuffs, it’s probably a good investment.”

Handsome Guy™ plays along, if only to continue staring at Yeonjun, “I dunno. Do you think it would look good on me?” his eyes glint full of mirth. 

He knows. Yeonjun knows he knows that he knows he’s hot. He just wants Yeonjun to say it. And if he had an ounce of self-control, Yeonjun might have resisted the bait. But he lives for self-destruction. “I can’t say without seeing it on,” Yeonjun plasters on what he hopes is a ‘holy shit you wanna play games, asshole?’ look.

“That’s a good point,” Beomgyu agrees excitedly, “I’ll go grab it.”

When he darts off to the accessories stand, Yeonjun decides to bite the bullet, “I can go ahead and check you out.”

“Haven’t you been doing that all night?”

And, would you look at that? Yeonjun’s face is reacting without any of his consent. “Have I?” he settles on asking, staring down at the jacket as he scans it, “I think you may have confused my customer attentiveness for something else.”

Handsome Guy™ chuckles, something deep and throaty and Yeonjun thinks it would make a nice ringtone, “So all your customers get this same attention? I can’t lie, I’m a bit envious.”

Yeonjun is in completely uncharted territory. In all of his customer crushes and fantasies, never has one actually led to a conversation like this. It's exhilarating. He hums to feign disinterest before turning to his register and following his script, “Do you have a loyalty card with us?”

“No, but if it means I can see you again, I think I’ll sign up.”

“W-what’s your number? F-for the account I mean.”

Handsome Guy™ tilts his head curiously, a playful smile tugging the corners of his lips, “Can I give it to you instead?”

“Um,” Yeonjun ducks beneath the counter again to grab a sack and releases a silent scream. He needs to play this smart! This guy is probably messing with him because he knows that Yeonjun was drooling over him for the better half of the hour. Yeonjun goes for a nonchalant tone when he rises back to his feet, “What makes you think I’ll use it?”

“Does that mean I can have yours instead then?”

"I-" He shakes out the bag and slides the jacket in, panicking, "Your total is $264. Are you paying with cash or card?"

Handsome Guy™ chuckles again, sending tingles down Yeonjun's spine, "Card."

"You can go ahead and swipe," Yeonjun gestures towards the card reader and Handsome Guy™ taps his phone against it. "Would like your receipt texted or printed?"

"If I say texted, will you promise to text me?"

Yeonjun is sputtering at this point and, much to his dismay, Taehyun appears moments later to check out his own customer, but not before elbowing Yeonjun’s side with an obnoxious wink. To avoid continuing this conversation in front of his nosy coworker (and not completely overheat from embarrassment), Yeonjun prints the receipt and shoves it into the sack. At the same time Beomgyu returns, extending the beanie to Handsome Guy™, “Try it on. Give us something to work with.”

Handsome Guy™’s eyes never leave Yeonjun’s, “Alright, alright.” He cuffs the bottom once, then tugs it over his head, leaving a bit of his bangs out. “Thoughts?” He is still ridiculously attractive, even more so with his prominent brow and wide eyes no longer hidden by his brown locks. And, as if Yeonjun isn’t already suffering enough as is, Beomgyu turns to him for his perspective first.

Well, _fuck_.

“It ties everything together like I said,” Yeonjun settles on the safest comment possible. 

Handsome Guy™ isn't satisfied at all, “Doesn’t it make my head look weird?” 

Of course it doesn’t. It makes him look HOT. Too damn hot for his own good. But how can Yeonjun say that without definitely violating his employee protocol?

“I don’t think so,” Beomgyu rescues Yeonjun from having to answer and he nearly thanks him. “I’ll buy it.”

Yeonjun happily rescans the beanie that Beomgyu had already gotten, making sure to avoid Handsome Guy™'s attempts at eye contact, and checks his screen, “That’ll be $1,320. Are you paying with cash or card?” 

“Card,” Beomgyu removes a black card from his checkered wallet and swipes, not even batting a lash at the total.

Yeonjun can’t help the twinge of envy coursing through him as he approves everything on his end, “Would you like your receipt printed or texted to you?”

“Texted.”

Yeonjun nods, clicking through on his screen and throwing in the free fleece that comes with every purchase over $500, “Thank you for coming to North Face,” he slides the large paper bag closer to Beomgyu, “If you don’t mind leaving feedback on the link in your receipt about my services, I would greatly appreciate it. It’ll let my manager know if I’m doing my job well. You even get a 30% off coupon just for submitting it.”

Beomgyu smiles, taking his bag by the handles, “Of course. You’re always so helpful whenever I come. I’ll make him do one too,” he gestures to Handsome Guy™. “That way he’ll have a reason to come back.”

“I think I found one already,” Handsome Guy™ says, tongue poking his cheek to fight back a smirk and Yeonjun hates the way his ears go warm. 

“You two gentlemen have a good day,” Yeonjun only focuses on Beomgyu as he waves goodbye, “Bundle up.”

They leave then, but not before Handsome Guy™ shoots one last look in Yeonjun's direction through the glass displays outside the store front.

“Jesus, I thought you were already cringey to begin with, but someone flirting with you just brings it to an unbelievable level,” Taehyun remarks, reminding Yeonjun that he was arguing with the younger before the entire Handsome Guy™ situation. “You’re bright red by the way. I thought it was permanent for a minute.”

Yeonjun mock laughs then pulls a straight face, “You’re on cash duty tonight.”

“What? No fair! Hyejin’s been on reg all day!”

“And you just insulted me so now you’re on reg. Enjoy it, little shit,” Yeonjun blows a kiss to his younger co-worker as he saunters off to help Hyejin tag the remaining items on the rack. 

The night ends without any other Handsome Guy™ appearances and Yeonjun is able to cool his cheeks back down to his pale skin tone when he forces his mind to think about anything other than dark eyes and a cheeky smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I will make this a series, but it was a cute idea and I've been writing so many fics that I wanted to post just one 😭 I have so many in store for you guys but I want to be able to post more consistently so I am trying to pre-write!
> 
> if you like yeonbin with HEAVY angst,  
> [read this!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22290661/chapters/53235454)  
> if you like yeonbin fluff with a sprinkle of angst, [read this!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21879484/chapters/52223143)  
> here's my [twt](https://twitter.com/honeysugaboy) if you ever want to come ask about updates or talk about stories!


	2. h

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first chapter got so much love and I got a few dms on [twt](https://twitter.com/honeysugaboy) to make this a series so here we are :)  
> I'm not sure how long this will be or how often I can update but it'll likely be mostly fluff with softcore angst bc I live for a bit of chaos  
> also probably side taehyunning bc I can 😘  
> thank you so much for supporting my work and hope you all enjoy!

“Kai Kamal Huening,” Yeonjun storms out of the bathroom, wielding his straightener as he barges into the room just next door, “Did you ruin my straightener AGAIN?”

His roommate shrinks behind his massive gaming PC setup, the mic of his headset slowly being pushed upward. His eyes are wide and guilty, the usual bass in his voice hiked up in pitch, “ _Hyung_ , I’m in the middle of a stream.”

Yeonjun doesn’t care, “And I’m in the middle of doing my hair! Answer the damn question!”

“I was gonna buy you a new one later today,” Kai begins, fingers continuing to tap away at his keyboard and it takes all the self control Yeonjun has not to smack them off.

“How?” Yeonjun demands, waving his now confirmed dead straightener in front of the younger's screen, “How did you do it this time?!”

Kai avoids eye contact at all costs, mumbling, “Imadeagrilledcheese...”

“Do _not_ make me repeat myself.”

“I was trying to make a grilled cheese,” Kai whines full on, hands going still on the keyboard and Yeonjun assumes that he must’ve died in his game with how his forehead creases, “And the foil kinda got stuck and then caught on fire and, and-"

“We have a stove, genius! Better yet, a microwave! Why use my- You know what? I’m not even going to argue with you this time. Let’s go. Now.”

“Now? But, hyung, I’m in the middle of-”

“You have five minutes or else I’m sending Taehyun,” he smirks when the younger sits up taller at the mention of his coworker’s name, “The Picture™ tonight.”

Kai gasps, leaning forward in a challenge, “You wouldn’t.”

Kai has had a crush on Taehyun for as long as Yeonjun can remember. The day he invited Taehyun over to come over and chill, Kai literally couldn’t stop stuttering or laughing in the loudest decibel possible at anything he said. After Taehyun went home, Kai admitted that he didn’t have a real understanding of flirting or making moves when he thought someone was attractive; he’d never had time to actually date throughout his high school years. He was too busy being groomed to take over the gigantic tech empire that is Huening Electronics run by Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Hyunchal Huening and Jiwoo Lee respectively.

“Try me,” Yeonjun snaps, throwing the straighter into the trashcan by Kai’s door and stomping back into the bathroom. He flicks his blowdryer back on and ruffles his fingers through his hair as he contemplates what his life has come to.

Rooming with Kai is the best and worst decision Yeonjun has made over the years. On one hand he’s living in a luxury high rise in the heart of Seoul with more space than his childhood home and last two apartments combined. It is one of many perks earned by befriending a rich third generation chaebol from a chance encounter at the gaming store he’d briefly worked at over his sophomore year summer. On the other hand, being spoon fed from birth and never wanting, or working, for anything isn’t the best breeding grounds for a responsible adult. 

In short, Kai fucks a lot of things up. 

_Especially_ Yeonjun’s things.

It’s something that drives the elder insane. Perhaps it’s from growing up relatively poor, but Yeonjun is extremely possessive about the things that he has earned himself or kept over the years. Kai is the exact opposite. Things are just that: things. To him they have no value; they can all be bought or replaced on a whim, in a mere text sent to his personal assistant (Yeonjun has no Earthly idea why a 20 year old would _need_ one, but God forbid a Huening child go without one). So whenever he “borrows” something of Yeonjun’s and it breaks, he doesn’t even think twice about it. Just dismisses the existence of said object and offers to buy a new one to replace it.

Yeonjun has been _trying_ to teach Kai to respect objects even if they are disposable because that’s what a responsible, sensible adult does. He is obviously not succeeding if his third broken straightener in the past three months is anything to go by, but Mama Choi didn’t raise a quitter.

Yeonjun clicks off his blow dryer when his hair is relatively dry and stares in the mirror for a long moment. He had been meaning to get a haircut sometime last week, but with research papers, midterms and overnight weekend shifts looming overhead, he’d completely forgotten. His weird sandy brown hair is at an awkward length now, hanging over his eyes and tickling the tops of his cheeks, and if he combs the back out properly, it curls into a half mullet. It makes him go from a solid seven to a barely qualified four which means he needs a haircut. Immediately. He opens his drawer and, to no one’s surprise really, does not find his clippers or hair shears, “Kai.”

Another thing that grinds Yeonjun's patience to a quick is the fact that Kai also has an annoying habit of hiding hair cutting items because he insists that everyone should try long hair once in their lives. He remembers one time in particular that always brings a smile to his face.

“Hyung, just picture this,” Kai held his plushie defensively over his head as Yeonjun lifted his 500 page bound notebook threateningly overhead, “You, right- can you see it? Okay, you but now add a ponytail! You’d look so hip and cool. Just picture it.” 

Yeonjun pretended to consider the thought before slamming the notebook down for a satisfying smack atop Kai’s head, “Gimme my shears or I’ll cut yours off in your sleep.”

Kai locked his door every night that week. 

Ah, _what a time to be alive._

Anyways, Yeonjun is an adamant resistor to such beliefs and typically cuts his hair to the shortest bowl cut possible to prevent such incidents from occurring. This time around though, Kai has won and Yeonjun is not so prideful that he can’t admit his defeat. He just whips out his phone and puts in a calendar reminder to go to the salon next week before his hair gets too far out of hand.

A knock shakes the bathroom door, “I’m readyyyyy.”

“I know you are not rushing me,” Yeonjun pockets his phone and opens the door to glare at the younger.

Kai puts his hands up defensively, shooting back, “Hey, you’re the one who said five minutes!”

Yeonjun playfully pushes Kai towards the door as he rolls his eyes, “Yeah, yeah let’s go.”

They catch a ride from Kai’s personal assistant to the mall that Yeonjun works at since it’s the closet. On the way there Kai is explaining something about a friend coming to visit later this week, “I haven’t seen him since middle school.”

“Were you guys close as kids?”

“Yeah, we were inseparable actually. We’ve kept in contact on and off, but never had the chance to meet in person. Until now since he just moved to Seoul after his dad opened up a new headquarters here.”

Nearly all of Kai’s friends end up being children of chaebols so it’s no surprise that business is what brings them around. Yeonjun wonders aloud, “What company is it?”

“Big Hit Entertainment.”

“Ooh,” Yeonjun remembers hearing something about Big Hit coming to Seoul, but he didn’t think it was true, “They’re doing a talent search, right?”

Kai nods, glancing out the window as the car slows in front of a mall entrance, “Yeah. He’s in charge of street casting for a new girl group.” They get out of the car, Yeonjun thanking the driver, “I just wanted to let you know he might be over often for a few months while we catch up. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Yeonjun doesn’t mind really. He’s a social butterfly in public, but when he’s in the comfort of his own home, he tends to wall off in his room anyways. He’ll probably just say hello to Kai’s little friend and sneak away to eat ramen and binge watch Netflix’s newest batch of K-dramas. “Now, let’s go to Aritaum.” In the store, Yeonjun spends way too much time reading the boxes of the straighteners, not understanding why it’s so complicated to get one to just do its job. He settles for an upgraded version from the brand he had previously, only feeling a little bad when he takes in the hefty price tag. “What are you looking at?”

The younger turns back to the rack of hair dye, one hand planted on his hip, “I dunno... I’m getting kind of bored of your hair color.”

“What?” Yeonjun blinks, completely caught off guard, “My hair color?”

“Well your hair in general. All you do is keep it the same,” he doesn’t even have the decency to look at Yeonjun’s shocked expression, just gestures vaguely in his direction, “Like literally the very first time I met you is how you look now. Something’s gotta change.”

“... I’m sorry, wh-”

“How about red?”

Yeonjun gawks, “You’re not dyeing my hair!”

“No, you’d just look like a tomato all the time with how quick you turn pink,” Kai kisses his teeth, moving away from the red section, “Let’s try something cool toned... Blue?” Yeonjun thinks Kai has officially lost his mind if he thinks he’s letting the younger come near him with- “Oooh blonde! Hyung, blonde!”

“Kai-”

“C’mere!” he snags Yeonjun’s arm to pull him closer to the display, places his hand next to the hair samples. “Aish, why are you so pale? These all look terrible.”

“Exactly why you’re _not_ dyeing my hair!”

Suddenly Kai reaches for a color at the top of display and Yeonjun nearly faints, “This! It’s perfect!”

“Kai, it’s fucking neon yellow!”

“I know,” Kai squeals, tugging Yeonjun behind him as he shifts down the shelf to grab bleach and developer to stack atop the box of the straightener.

Yeonjun makes a note to ask Kai what the hell he eats later because _holy shit_ why can't he break free, “W-what are you doing?”

“Junie hyung, do you trust me?”

“NO!”

“Yes, you doooo! You know I would never do something that would hurt you!”

“That doesn’t even-”

“Hyung, it’s been a year since your last date,” Yeonjun gapes at such a low blow, but Kai doesn't stop, “I’m not saying that it’s because of your hair, but don’t you think it’s time to show off something new? Something wild for once?” Kai speaks softly now, eyes filled with concern, “It doesn’t hurt to try different stuff, y’know? You’re still Yeonjun in the end.”

Sometimes in the chaotic dynamic of their friendship, Yeonjun forgets that Kai is inherently a kind hearted, nurturing type. It shouldn't surprise him that the younger noticed his love life, or, well, lack thereof. But Yeonjun supposes it _was_ a rather abrupt transition from his ex coming over multiple days a week to suddenly being unable to say his name without Yeonjun hiding in his room for the remainder of the day or chugging the nearest alcoholic beverage. However, despite how it looks, there are no real feelings of animosity that come to mind when he thinks of Minho.

They broke up over... different values. Yeonjun liked routine, he liked knowing where his boyfriend would be when he wanted him, liked predictability, liked solidity. Minho did not; he craved spontaneity, last minute plans, wild nights. Which meant they clashed on more than a handful of occasions before their relationship self-destructed with both parties giving the other a piece of their mind. Minho’s was something along the lies of “You’re so fucking boring. All you ever want to do is sit inside and watch TV. Can you just live a little? Shit! Like how do you expect to keep a guy without doing something unexpected sometimes?!” and Yeonjun’s was... 95% incoherent sobbing and 5% expletives that didn’t even make sense when strung together.

As an after effect of that rather embarrassing and rocky break up, Yeonjun decided to shun any romantic endeavors from developing in order to protect his crumbling heart from further attacks. He also made a promise not to change just because Minho called him boring, no matter how much he wanted to. But he had become stagnant, wanting so badly to stay true to himself that he hasn’t grown at all since his junior year. He was still the same scared guy with a heart smashed to smithereens, except now he is just a few centimeters taller and much closer to graduating. The realization makes him frown, eyebrows furrowing as he thinks about how he hadn’t recognized this happening in the first place.

God, if Yeonjun knew he’d be having _this_ type of revelation in a hair dye aisle of a crowded beauty supply store, he would’ve just ordered his straightener online.

Kai must see the acceptance setting into Yeonjun’s features because he rushes to grab a mixing bowl, a brush and toner, reassuring, “You won’t regret this, hyung, I promise.” 

The entire ride home, Yeonjun is in a daze and it isn’t until he’s taking off his shoes in the doorway that he realizes that this is okay. 

It’s fine.

People do this all the time.

And if he hates it, he can just wear hats until it grows out.

Because it’s just hair.

Yeonjun dyeing his hair isn’t going to make the world fall apart.

Yeonjun trying something new isn’t going to cause the universe to suddenly start punishing him.

It’s going to be alright.

Kai passes him to the bathroom, carrying all the supplies and calling over his shoulder as Yeonjun closes his eyes and takes a long inhale, “Put on a shirt you don’t care about, hyung.”

Yeonjun exhales, slow and controlled, then nods, “Alright. Give me a sec.” He goes to his bedroom, shifting through his drawers to find an old tshirt and tugging it on. He also strips out of his jeans and is too lazy to find a different pair of pants to slip into. Him being in boxers is nothing new anyways. His phone vibrates from his jeans on the ground and he retrieves it, unlocking the screen to see a message from Taehyun.

**little shit 🙄**

**I’m thinking: sushi?** 🤤  
 _Read 8:58 pm_

  
**only if u get a volcano roll this time**   
**and u pay for drinks**   
_Read 8:59 pm_

  
**Fine, fine. My place or yours?**   
**Just know this is a rhetorical question bc I’m coming**   
**to yours either way**   
_Read 9:00 pm_

  
**don’t make me kick u out**   
**knock hard when u come bc i’m gonna be busy**   
_Read 9:01 pm_

After he sends his text he tosses his phone onto his bed and makes his way to the bathroom. Kai is there, freshly changed into a random tee, with the entire surface of the counter covered with hair supplies. He diligently reads the instructions for the bleach, a scrunch in his brow that does nothing to unravel the knot in Yeonjun’s stomach, “Sit on the toilet.” Yeonjun obeys and tries not to panic at the sound of the bleach being mixed, at the sound of the paper crinkling as Kai tells him to “Relax.” When the process starts, stroke by stroke, foil layering atop of foil, Kai paints away Yeonjun’s anxieties. They talk about other things, like Yeonjun’s future plans in life after he graduates this year, Kai’s gaming channel and “What even is a zoologist?” It works to distract him from the worry that gnaws at his subconscious. It’s not long before Kai’s telling his phone to set a reminder for 30 minutes and slapping a shower cap onto his head.

They migrate out of the bathroom just in time to hear a knock at the front door. “Oh, Taehyun’s coming over by the way. He got sushi for us,” Yeonjun explains as he moves towards the door.

“Oh, my friend is coming over tonight with drinks too so you both will get to meet him.”

Yeonjun nods, unlocking and and opening the door, “‘Kay, but we need to work on an emergency ‘let’s bail’ scenario if he turns out to be a weirdo or something,” he turns to greet Taehyun when he’s met with only the base of someone’s chin... _Weird_ , Taehyun is shorter than him... Yeonjun’s gaze ticks up inch by inch until it aligns with an all too familiar doe-like set that belongs to none other than Handsome Guy™.

Remember that bullshit Yeonjun was telling himself earlier when Kai was bleaching his hair?

Yeah well, completely scratch that.

The universe _definitely_ is punishing him now.

The dark chocolate hues only widen a millisecond before narrowing, small wrinkles forming at the corners and then comes a low toned, “Well,” Yeonjun can only gape at the man in front of him, eyes dropping shamelessly down his entire body. He’s clad in an EXTREMELY form fitting black turtleneck which is tucked into distressed skinny jeans that lengthen his already long limbs and massive black boots that Yeonjun would _not_ mind stepping on him. He smells of cinnamon and something sharp and citrus, like an apple pie with a surprise inside. His smirk is just as infuriatingly attractive as Yeonjun remembers it which doesn’t help his knees in the struggle to keep him upright, “This is a nice surprise.”

“Oh, hyung, you made it!” Kai is beside Yeonjun in a flash, wide smile on and bouncing from side to side, “Yeonjunie hyung, meet Soobinie hyung. Soobinie hyung, meet Yeonjunie hyung.”

Handsome Guy™ or, err, Soobin cocks his head to the right a bit, smirk growing darker by the second as his own eyes rake up and down Yeonjun's form, “I’m happy to see you again, Yeonjun-ssi. I hope you’ve been well since we’ve last met.”

Yeonjun is reminded in that moment that he is not wearing pants. Or shorts. Just his ratty old Ryan boxers, mismatched socks and an severely stained oversized t-shirt with a stretched neck hole.

This just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

“Oh,” Kai glances between the two males, “You’ve met already? How?”

“At my job,” Yeonjun croaks, face flushing, grip tightening on the door knob, “Last week.”

Kai claps once, reaching out to fetch the bag from Soobin’s hand, “Great! C’mon in then.”

This is the point in which Yeonjun should step out of the doorway in order to give his guest the proper room to enter. But his legs aren’t exactly the most stable and he’s afraid that if he steps back he won’t be able to hold his weight anymore. So he just leans into the door instead, giving him as much space as he can in this awkward position, and Yeonjun thinks he might combust when Soobin slips past him with a chuckle, saying over his shoulder, “Nice shower cap.”


	3. o

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for being so patient and supportive of this work!! this is a longer chapter than usual, but I have a feeling you guys might enjoy this length as well. let me know what you think in the comments down below!!

_Shower... Cap?_

Yeonjun’s hand flies to his head to confirm what he’d definitely forgotten about: the rubber ducky shower cap Kai had put on him after applying the bleach. 

Death honestly sounds fairly enjoyable right about now. Perhaps the good sweet Lord could just take him now?

_... No?_

Okay, well, _speak_ Yeonjun! Don’t just stand there like an idiot!

"T-thank you,” Yeonjun meekly utters before he realizes that it is, in fact, not the response he’d planned on saying. 

Yeonjun typically prides himself in his quick wit and dry sarcastic humor; it’s something that he uses quite often and yields good results every time. However it would be bold (and dare he say downright ignorant) to assume that he has enough blood going to his brain to even process the human language at a proper speed right now. 

Soobin pauses just beside him to step out of his shoes, covered arm nearly brushing Yeonjun’s bare one, “Am I interrupting something?”

“Nah, this is actually better than how we usually look. Yeonjunie hyung is more of a minimalist kinda guy; the less clothes, the better.” Leave it to Kai to cue Yeonjun’s supervillain origin story by saying the worst thing possible in a situation like this. “You’re lucky, y’know? He usually doesn’t wear anything-”

“Kai!” Yeonjun screeches, face heating as he lunges off the door after the younger, “Are you kidding me?”

Kai side steps the attack, causing Yeonjun to crash into Soobin who easily catches him by his shoulders, “What?! It’s the truth!”

“No it’s not! I literally wear boxers all the time!” Yeonjun somehow regains his footing, definitely bright red while pretending not to enjoy the fact that Soobin’s hands nearly cover his entire shoulder and are warm through his thin cotton shirt.

“Boxers are basically nothing!”

“ _You’re_ basically nothing! Besides I just like to be comfortable! Is that a crime?!”

Soobin laughs and it’s so beautiful that Yeonjun momentarily forgets what he was even angry about. Their eyes link as he releases Yeonjun from his hold and a mischievous smile curves Soobin’s pretty pink lips, “Well, don’t let me stop you from being comfortable; I’m just a guest after all.”

_Wait..._

_What?!_

“Gross. Anyways, hyung, how was the move?” Kai saves Yeonjun from having to babble out an incoherent response, turning away to venture into the living room. Soobin switches his gaze from Yeonjun after a long beat, leaving him even more frazzled than before. Yeonjun turns away to face the door, shutting and locking it as he tries to calm down. Kai continues speaking, “Is Seoul better than you thought?”

“I wouldn’t say better; it’s... different. Daegu was a lot less hectic, a lot easier to navigate,” Soobin’s voice is better than Yeonjun remembers, smooth and velvety on the ears, “But it’s nice to be back around friends again. I missed you and Beomgyu-ah a lot.”

“Ooh, I haven’t seen Beomgyu hyung in a longgg time. How is he?”

As they dive into conversation, Yeonjun scrambles off to his bedroom. He bursts in, kicking the door shut behind him, and immediately starts rummaging through the top drawer of his dresser. He pushes his pants around until he spots his most presentable pair of sweats and hops into them. He also yanks off his t-shirt and replaces his current shirt with a less offensive tee that has minimal stains and a normal neckline. 

Panting slightly from the physical exertion, he then approaches his full body mirror tucked into the corner of the room for closer inspection. The apples of his cheeks still have a slight rosy tint, as if the blood is permanently at the surface from his earlier embarrassment, and his pupils are blown wide, despite not being in close proximity to the man anymore, which is fair enough considering the circumstances. His totally hot customer who tried to swallow Yeonjun with his eyes the entire time they were near each other and shamelessly hit on him is now casually speaking with his roommate in his living room. 

Okay, alright, calm down.

That’s not important right now. What’s important is that he needs to get a grip and there’s only one person who can help him do that. He rushes over to his bed to retrieve his phone, sending an SOS to Taehyun.

**little shit 🙄**

**CODE BLUE. I REPEAT CODE BLUE!**   
_Sent 9:28pm_   
**DON’T IGNORE ME ASHOEL**   
***ASHOLE**   
***FUCK ASSHOLE**   
_Sent 9:31pm_   
**I’M GONNA MAKE U DO TRASH DUTY**   
**IF U DON’T ANSWER ME RN**   
_Read 9:33pm_   
**THAT’S RIGHT**   
**U BETTER START TYPING**   
_Read 9:33pm_

**Hyung, I’m literally 10 mins away 😐**   
**Also we’re not at work so don’t use codes**   
**What do you want?**   
_Read 9:33pm_

**BUT THIS IS AN EMERGENCY**   
_Read 9:33pm_

  
**Then that would be a Code Red**   
_Read 9:34pm_

  
**BLUE IS WHEN SOMEONE IS WHEN ITS**   
**A CUSTOMER PROB DIPSHIT**   
**N E WAYS HE’S HERE!!!!**   
_Read 9:34pm_

  
**????????????**   
_Read 9:34pm_

  
**HANDSOME GUY™ IS HERE IN MY LIVING ROOM RIGHT NOW**   
**HE TOLD ME HE HOPED I WAS WELL UBSVKBSB**   
**HE LOOKS SO GOOD I WANNA 😓**   
**HEPL ME**   
_Read 9:34pm_

For the past week, Handsome Guy™ was all Yeonjun talked about at work, the nickname becoming all too familiar to the younger coworker after hearing it at least 100 times per shift. So it isn’t very shocking when Taehyun replies almost instantaneously.

**little shit 🙄**

**Hide**   
**I’ll be there in 2**   
_Read 9:34pm_

Yeonjun lets out a sigh of relief, collapsing onto his bed. He tries to think rationally about his situation as he waits for Taehyun to arrive. Soobin is just Kai’s childhood friend... who happens to be so handsome that Yeonjun wouldn’t be surprised if he was in the higher end of the top 100 faces of Korea. Yeonjun is perfectly capable of having a simple, civil, polite conversation with him. He’s done it before, albeit he was internally screaming, and he can do it again. He just needs to, like, chill.

He flicks mindlessly through his Instagram feed, switches over to Twitter and then Snapchat to distract himself. He doesn’t have many friends anymore, a downside of dating within a friend group and having a messy breakup. But, the few people that didn’t completely ditch him were enough to keep Yeonjun from feeling entirely isolated. He swipes up on Ryujin’s story, telling her they should meet soon, then abruptly rolls out of bed when he hears the front door creak open.

Taehyun’s voice echoes down the hall, “Hey, Hyuka.” Yeonjun pops his head out of his own door frame to take in his savior in his hoodie and baggy sweats, holding two large plastic bags. 

Kai tints pink at the nickname alone (talk about being whipped) and takes both sacks from him, “Hi, Hyunie. It's been a while.”

Taehyun nods in agreement, pausing at the entryway to take off his shoes. He looks up at Soobin as he does so, “Hello...?”

“Soobin,” Soobin answers with a nod of acknowledgement, “You work with Yeonjun-ssi, right?”

“Yeah, I do. Name’s Taehyun. I didn’t know anyone else was joining so sorry if you don’t see anything you like. I also brought beer, but Yeonjun hyung usually drinks them all. Good luck trying to get any.”

And just like that Soobin’s heavy lidded gaze is on him, as if he’d known Yeonjun was peeking out of his door this entire time, “I guess I’ll have to ask nicely then.”

Yeonjun doesn’t have anything to say to that because what the _fuck_ is he supposed to say when Soobin is looking so intensely at him that he can barely remember to keep his mouth closed?

Thankfully, Taehyun intervenes with a cackle, “Pft, if that works, I’ll give you $20.” He walks towards Yeonjun while calling over his shoulder to Kai, “Go ahead and start eating; we’ll be there in a sec.”

“He’s here,” Yeonjun whispers once Taehyun enters, even though the door is closed, “He’s actually here!”

Taehyun wastes no time falling into the desk chair on the side of Yeonjun’s room. He does a spin as he snickers, “Yeah, no shit.”

“I can’t believe-” 

“What’s with the shower cap?”

“Kai’s bleaching my hair, but that’s not-”

“Really? Are you dyeing it too?”

“Yes, I am,” Yeonjun blinks, “But-”

“What color?”

“Yellow-”

Taehyun’s eyebrows fly to his hairline, “Yellow?”

“Yes, yellow! Wait, just shut up and let me talk for a second,” Yeonjun raises a hand to stop the younger from further interrogation. “What am I gonna do?! This guy just- he’s like- I don’t know, he’s just-” 

Taehyun supplies, continuing to twirl in the chair, “A flirt.”

“Yes! A flirt! And I don’t know why he chose _me_ -”

“Probably because your eyes were the size of saucers the moment he stepped into the store.”

“But I do that with all the cute customers!”

Taehyun doesn’t disagree with the statement since he’s seen Yeonjun ogle over plenty of men in his time working at North Face. Instead he asks, “Hyung, what do people normally do when they think someone is cute?”

“Compliment them?”

“Not exactly what I was looking for, but has he?”

“No, not really- well if you count him calling my shower cap cute, then yes.”

Taehyun snorts and Yeonjun cuts his eyes at him, “He wasn’t wrong. But has he done anything else? I mean aside from stare at you as if you’re the only thing in the general vicinity worth his attention.”

“Um... He tried to give me his number.”

“No way!” Taehyun exclaims, placing his feet down to stop his momentum, “When was this?”

“At work when I was checking him out,” Yeonjun flushes, fighting to keep his smile contained as his coworker's jaw slacks in disbelief, “He tried three times, but I was panicking and kept curving him so he asked for mine instead.”

“Did you give it to him?”

“Are you insane? Of course I didn’t!”

“Hyunggg,” Taehyun whines, “he’s totally into you! This is literally a no brainer, just flirt back.”

“I dunno. I'm probably looking too deep into it."

“You can’t ‘look too deep’ into someone asking for your phone number. He’s obviously interested in you.”

Yeonjun mutters through a pout, wringing his hands in front of him, “I don’t think it’s 'obvious'.”

“Are you trying to play hard to get?”

“No,” Yeonjun stresses, looking down at his hands pitfully, “I just haven’t flirted with anyone since my ex and he made all the first moves in our relationship. Besides, I don’t even know what he wants! He could just be looking for a fuck buddy or something.”

Taehyun considers the statement as he stands up, “That’s fair. But there’s nothing wrong with playing along and seeing where things go, hyung. You deserve to have some fun.”

Yeonjun shifts from foot to foot, feeling as if he’s the younger one in this relationship all of the sudden, “I guess.”

“You do. So go have some. Flirt with him and see if he’s worth your time. If not, just ignore him. It’s not like the world will come crashing down because you decide not to mess with him anymore,” before Yeonjun can delay the evening any further, Taehyun pushes past his shoulder to leave the room, “Enjoy tonight.”

Yeonjun gives his face a few quick pats, nodding in encouragement to relax before following after the younger. He barely makes it halfway down the hallway before his throat goes dry at the sight of Soobin now leaning against the couch, one arm propped onto the couch while the other rests behind his head. Even from this far away, he can see the way Soobin’s bicep flexes as he ruffles his hair and laughs at whatever dumb joke Kai came up with. He presses his lips together tighter to keep from drooling.

This is fine. Yeonjun is an adult. He can handle knowing that Soobin probably works out and likely looks really really really _really_ good in a swimsuit without trying. He’s totally not gonna Google his name and scroll through photos to confirm his suspicions later tonight.

However what isn’t fine is the current arrangement of their furniture. Their living room is spacious, consisting of a plush L-frame couch, oblong coffee table and massive entertainment system, all with plenty of space between. But for some unknown reason, they’ve made it unncessarily intimate and cozy by pulling the coffee table closer to the couch and placing all the pillows on the ground. Kai and Soobin opt to sit on the floor instead of the couch, with the former leaning against the short section of the L-frame and the latter propped against the longer side of the couch. Kai sits cross legged since he’s at the head of the table while Soobin’s long legs stick out of the other side, massive boots removed to showcase bright red socks that disappear into his black skinny jeans. On said coffee table are two large bottles of wine that Yeonjun assumes the man brought and an assortment of wine glasses that Yeonjun didn’t even know they owned.

Soobin is literally sitting, nothing special, nothing that warrants a reaction, nothing that should get Yeonjun riled up. And yet, he can’t help but gawk from afar until Taehyun rudely interrupts by saying, “Are you gonna sit?” He plops down on the opposite end of Kai, leaving the space beside Soobin wide open and Yeonjun makes a mental note to definitely put him on trash duty the next shift they work together. “Or do you want to just stand there?”

Yeonjun has the strongest urge to choke slam Taehyun right then and there but he settles on gritting out, “You little shit.” He has to repeatedly remind his legs to do their damn job as he marches over to the couch, “Scooch.”

“Why? I left you space right there,” the younger gestures to the open gap directly next to Soobin, “Since I know how much you love to face the TV.”

Yeonjun doesn’t even have the time to whack the back of Taehyun’s head before Soobin’s eyes are intently scanning his change of clothes. He then tilts his head, reconnecting their gaze, “I don’t bite, y’know?”

“I- Uh- Um-” The phrase spins Yeonjun’s mind directly to the gutter causing him to blush from mortification. _C’mon Yeonjun, get. it._ _together!_ “I, um, I-”

“Cat got your tongue?” Soobin teases with a knowing smile.

As a hopeless romantic, Yeonjun has witnessed enough rom-coms to know that Soobin is flirting with him. It’s basic textbook material: he’s being bold and cocky and teasing Yeonjun like they’re kids on a playground. He also knows that this is supposed to be an exchange, a give and take, a tug of war between who’s going to stumble first. And so far, in both of these flirtatious encounters, all Yeonjun has succeeded in doing is be a complete buffoon. 

But two can play at this game; in the rom-coms the people who flirt back have a 90% success rate. Which means it doesn’t matter that Soobin is insanely attractive and makes Yeonjun want to turn into a puddle just from raising a perfectly sculpted brow. He can make Soobin as flustered as he is, maybe even more. He just needs to act like he’s not affected by his advances, like this is something he goes through daily. And if Yeonjun can pretend that Kai’s cooking is good even when it’s fully charred, over seasoned and burning the roof of his mouth, then he can definitely fake being confident for the next hour or so. 

“Hyunggggg, why’d you get one with a corkkkkk?” Kai’s whining saves Yeonjun from having to reply this time.

Soobin glances towards Kai reluctantly, “That’s the best kind.”

“It’s gonna take forever to get this out,” Kai huffs childishly.

Yeonjun doesn’t miss the way the corner of Taehyun’s lip twitches affectionately as he pretends to be annoyed, motioning at the youngest, “Give it to me.”

Yeonjun then tiptoes behind Taehyun, side stepping until he can lower into a seated position in the open space beside Soobin. He tries not to think about how close their shoulders are to touching, or how his knee is brushing the fabric of Soobin’s jeans because he just might combust then and there.

“Everyone pass me your glasses,” Taehyun announces, producing a wine opener from his keychain and starting to work on removing the cork. They all obey, sliding the glassware to the younger as he inquires, “So, Soobin-ssi, how do you know Kai?”

Soobin shifts, his arm propped onto the couch brushing the back of Yeonjun’s neck as he does. Yeonjun has to suppress the urge to shiver from the unexpected contact. “We had the same tutor until he moved away for high school. And with our parents in such different industries, we never really had much of a reason for our paths to cross afterwards.”

“What do your parents do?” Taehyun grunts, vigorously shimmying the cork upward.

“My dad owns Big Hit Entertainment.”

“Oh, that’s dope,” the cork makes a loud popping noise as it’s released from the bottle and then Taehyun fills their glasses, “Are you an idol?”

Soobin accepts his half filled glass with a head shake, “I’ve thought about it, but my dad says I’d shake the industry too much,” he reaches to grab another glass, sliding this one to Kai, “After a bit of reflection, I agreed. So I scout instead.”

“How humble of you,” Yeonjun murmurs under his breath, taking the glass Taehyun offers him.

Soobin smirks as he brings his drink to his lips, “Thank you for noticing.”

Yeonjun blushes as a result, mentally scolding his childhood self for never learning how to properly whisper. With a pointed look in Yeonjun's direction, Kai remarks, “I’m surprised he’s allowing you to help street cast.”

“Why’s that?” Taehyun questions, returning the bottle back to its place in the center of the table.

Soobin picks up a set of disposable chopsticks, breaking them apart, “Because I like to enjoy life.”

“That’s an understatement,” Kai snorts, opening the lids on the sushi assortment spread across the table. "At least the tabloids are nice about it since you're pretty."

Soobin sticks his tongue out at the younger playfully, "Jealous, Ninging?"with his unfairly deep and silky chuckle that makes it hard for Yeonjun to focus on splitting his own chopsticks.

Yeonjun smiles at the exchange, glad to see that Kai is comfortable with him. He prods Soobin to explain as he picks up a piece of sushi, “What do you mean by ‘enjoy life’?”

“I don’t deny myself when I want something. I prefer to take it and worry about the consequences later.” 

It’s something that a chaebol would say, something Yeonjun recalls once hearing from Kai months ago. “Ah, so you’re a spoiled brat,” Yeonjun concludes, tossing the roll into his mouth.

Taehyun snickers, sipping his wine, while Kai chokes, hitting his chest with a closed fist. He reprimands Yeonjun with a “H-hyung!” He then turns to Soobin with wide eyes, “Ignore him, he’s-”

“Only to people who don’t get what they want,” Soobin replies easily, hand slipping from his lap to pat Kai’s back.

Yeonjun blows out a puff of air, a laugh without much noise, but before he can speak again, Kai’s trying to steer the conversation into safer waters, “So, how is-”

“Wait a minute,” Taehyun narrows his eyes, “You hang out with that actor,” he snaps his fingers, trying to remember the name, “Park Ren, right?”

“Oh... Yeah... We hang out sometimes,” Soobin picks up another wedge of sushi.

"More like all the time. You guys were always clogging up my TL."

"You're a fan of his?" Soobin cocks an eyebrow and the image engraves itself into Yeonjun's brain.

Taehyun scoffs, clearly offended, "Hell no, his acting is ass. Plus he plays a douche most of the time so it makes it easy to hate him."

"Agreed," Soobin chuckles, giving a small smile after the magical sound. “Are you in school, Taehyun-ssi?”

Yeonjun has to remind himself that it is rude to stare in order to tear his eyes from Soobin’s face to check on his unusually quiet roommate. If there’s one thing that Yeonjun has learned after two years of befriending Kai, it is that he is not good at controlling his emotions. Right now is a great example: he sits, bug eyed and frozen, obviously caught off guard by the contents of this conversation. A distant ringing registers in the midst of the chatter and slowly Yeonjun remembers, “Kai, the timer.”

The younger strains to listen, making an impressed noise when he hears the rhythmic reminder, “Oh, um, hyung, I couldn’t even hear it,” he pushes away from the table onto his feet, “You guys can keep eating, we’ll be back in a few.”

Yeonjun books it into the bathroom with Kai on his heels. He sits down in his assigned seat and impatiently wiggles as Kai peels off his shower cap and unfurls a section of foil, “Perfect! Okay, I’m gonna take all of these out.” 

Piece by piece, the little sheets of foil are removed and Yeonjun’s head already feels so much lighter. He decides to ask while the younger is preoccupied, “What was that all about?” 

“What was what?” Kai replies quickly enough for Yeonjun to know that he knows exactly what he’s talking about.

Yeonjun counters easily, “You know what.”

“We need to rinse this out before it starts breaking off your hair,” Kai deflects the conversation again. 

Yeonjun purses his lips in obvious discontent but decides to let it slide for the sake of his poor hair, “... Fine.”

“I have to use a special shampoo, but we’re just gonna wash your hair like normal.”

Yeonjun nods, deciding to just kneel over the side of the tub to make the process quicker. Kai does a terrible job at not getting shampoo in his eyes, but his scalp doesn’t tingle as intensely as it did moments before. He sits up when the younger is finished rinsing out the last of the suds and accepts the towel that Kai gives him to dry off while maneuvering back onto the toilet seat. When his hair feels mostly dry, he removes the towel from on top of his head and wraps it around his shoulders instead.

Kai makes quick work of mixing the dye and the sight of the highlighter-esque substance has Yeonjun looking for a distraction, “Has Soobbin always looked... like-”

“A model?” Kai snorts, shaking his head as his comb parts a section, “No. He was really cute, kinda pudgy and awkward, in middle school. But, once he started getting taller, everything kind of just slimmed down.”

Yeonjun attempts to picture Soobin with doughy cheeks and ends up smiling at the imagery, “How cute. Is he different from how you remember him?”

“Mm,” Kai hums, starting to apply the dye, “Yeah. I mean, I guess I should have expected it since we’re both older now, but it still feels weird to see the changes in person.”

“What’s different?” 

“I can’t say really. So much drama has happened and we haven’t exactly been the closest since it all started so I don’t know anything for sure.”

Yeonjun tries to remember if he’s ever seen postings about Soobin, thinks it's a crime that he hadn’t known about Soobin’s existence before his shift at North Face, “What do you mean?”

Kai glances over his shoulder towards the opened door, lowering his voice to a whisper, “Promise you won’t bring it up in front of him?” 

“Why would I?”

“Promise, hyung.”

Yeonjun resists the urge to roll his eyes when Kai’s pinky ends up in front of his face, latching his own around it, “I promise.”

“Okay,” Kai nudges the door close with his foot, waiting until he hears the click to begin, “He was dating the guy that Taehyun talked about: Ren. They were a thing for, like, a year. But the public thought they were just best friends because, well, you know how being gay in public is,” Yeonjun nods, having been around when Kai made the brave decision to come out to his extremely homophobic parents and company board. It was a memory that made his blood boil if he thought too much about it. “But then, a month ago, pictures of Ren getting black out drunk and hooking up with random girls started popping up. They were all over social media, especially the tabloids. For three whole days Ren was in the #1 spot with different girls on each spread; the scandal was so massive that the new show he had coming out got suddenly postponed.” 

“Holy shit,” Yeonjun utters, confused as to why the hell anyone would ever cheat on someone like Soobin. “What an asshole.” 

Kai nods in agreement, “He was the center of kpop stan twitter and paparazzi for almost two weeks. As soon as those pictures hit the internet, Soobin unfollowed Ren on all social platforms. But he couldn’t just forget about Ren’s existence because his fans kept asking why Soobin wasn’t there to keep him in line, to keep him from ruining his career or whatever. Soobin’s dad hated it because of the bad publicity, y’know? So he sent Soobin here to get him away from all of that. But don’t tell him I told you anything. Seriously.”

Yeonjun waves a dismissive hand, “I won’t. There’s no reason for me to bring up the past anyways; I'm sure he’s tired of thinking about it.”

Kai hums affirmatively, continuing to paint down the length of Yeonjun’s hair. It takes at least ten minutes before he’s suddenly put back into a shower cap and given 20 more minutes to wait.

The TV is on when they come back to the living room, playing some cheesy K-drama that Kai must like because he screeches in excitement, “Wait, wait, rewind it!” Taehyun groans dramatically, but obeys the command as both of them rush back into their seats. Yeonjun instantly scoops up his chopsticks, stacking two pieces of sushi atop of each other, and promptly stuffing his face while Kai says, “Okay, start!”

Yeonjun gets so into eating in fact that he doesn’t realize that Soobin’s doe eyes are scrunched as he studies him, “So, I never did get your number.” Yeonjun almost forgets how to chew when he freezes. “Is there a reason why?” 

Yeonjun sputters, cheeks warming too quickly for him to play this off, “Um, not in particular.”

“Ah, so that’s how you wanna play this?” Soobin says with a smirk, obviously amused, "I guess I'll have to work for it then."

"I guess so," Yeonjun manages to reply, focusing intensely on dipping a piece of sushi into the soy sauce dish.

"Are you in school, Yeonjun-ssi?"

"I am."

"What do you study?" 

"You probably won't know what it is," Yeonjun answers reflexively.

Soobin tilts his head curiously, "What is it?"

"Zoology."

"... You study... zoos?"

Beside him, Taehyun snickers and Yeonjun doesn't hesitate to kick his thigh, "No, I don't study zoos. I study the way animals live in zoos,” he clarifies bitterly.

"What year are you?"

"A senior."

“What year were you born?”

“‘99. You?”

“‘00.”

“...‘00?”

Soobin changes topics, “How do you know Kai?”

“We met when I was working a few summers ago. He was looking for new equipment to start streaming and I was the person that helped him pick everything out. He asked if I could come to set it up and the rest is history. Been living here for about two years now.”

“Family?”

“Just my mom and I.”

“No siblings?”

“Nope. Are we playing 21 questions or something?”

“No, I just want to know if you have a boyfriend.”

Yeonjun snorts, rolling his eyes despite the way his stomach backflips, “No thanks.”

“A romantic interest that takes up your time?”

“Nah,” Yeonjun glances at the younger to gauge his reaction, “I don’t date.”

“Excuse me?”

“I don’t date,” Yeonjun repeats simply, disliking the way Soobin’s eyes only seem to gleam brighter.

“Is that so?”

“It is.” 

Soobin hums, a happy sound that makes Yeonjun smile without noticing, “Then this is gonna be fun.”

“Shhhhhhhhh! Hyunie, can you please rewind it again? _Some_ people have no home training,” Kai hisses, not even bothering to turn around as he scolds the two older men.

Yeonjun bursts into laughter while Soobin repeatedly apologizes for disturbing their show. The rest of the night is calm, mainly consisting of finishing off their plates of sushi and one wine bottle. Yeonjun puts the beers and second bottle of wine away as Taehyun helps throw away all their trash and place their glasses into the sink. “I’m gonna head out,” he says after the table is clear. “I’ll see you next weekend.”

Yeonjun nods, waving as Taehyun exits the kitchen to tell the others the news. There’s murmuring and then the sound of the front door closing. 

“I should probably get going too,” Soobin’s voice drifts into the kitchen. Yeonjun closes the refrigerator door, heading towards the entryway of the kitchen to say goodbye again when he’s met with dark doe eyes already awaiting him. “Can I have your number?”

“You know where I live,” it’s a bold line, especially for someone like Yeonjun, but the warm sloshing of alcohol makes it seem second nature when it leaves his lips.

“Fair enough,” Soobin chuckles, the sound just as beautiful as the first, “In that case, I’ll be back soon.”

“Is that so?” Yeonjun teases, having to bite on his inner cheek to keep from breaking into a goofy grin.

Soobin beams, one corner of his mouth hiking upwards into a smile, “It is.”

“Have a good night, Soobin-ssi.”

“Good night, Yeonjun-ssi. Sweet dreams.”


	4. i

Yeonjun smiles brightly, pushing the paper bag across the counter towards the customer, “Thanks for shopping at North Face. We hope to see you again soon.” The woman nods, looping her arm through the bag handle before scurrying away.

“So,” Taehyun begins as he re-folds the display leggings for the 10th time in the past hour. Even after three years of working retail, Yeonjun still doesn’t understand why customers have to ruin an entire stack when they’re shopping. “Have you seen him yet?” 

The elder shrugs, leaning on the counter, “Kinda.”

“What does that mean? You’ve either seen him or you haven’t, hyung.”

“Okay, not in person, but...” Taehyun glances up when Yeonjun hesitates, “I watched a shit ton of paparazzi videos.” Taehyun snorts and Yeonjun flushes a bright red at the sound, standing straight up. “That was an exaggeration! I watched, like, like, no more than, like, ten.”

Okay, so it was definitely more than ten. But no one needs to know that Yeonjun has spent the better half of an hour each day this week scrolling through interviews, airport videos and random recordings that show Soobin for any length of time. Every time he clicks on a new clip, he can’t help thinking to himself that the screen does no justice to the actual presence that Soobin exudes.

“Rightttt.”

“Seriously!”

“Sure, hyung,” Taehyun agrees, but the smirk on his lips says otherwise. “Were you looking for something in particular?”

Yeonjun shakes his head as he circles around the counter to busy his hands with repositioning clothes on their racks beside the younger, “Not really. I was curious about what was online about him.” Taehyun’s eyebrow lifts curiously and Yeonjun rushes to add, a bit embarrassed, “W-with him being famous and all.”

There is a lot of information out there on Soobin. Firstly, (and unsurprisingly), he has a shit load of fans that put kprofiles to shame with how extensive the knowledge is on their forums. (Yeonjun definitely did not consume every detail from those blogs with entirely too much concentration given the circumstances.) Secondly, Soobin is super popular back in Daegu; to the point where most of the tabloids and paparazzi keep up with either him or his best friend, Beomgyu, another chaebol whose father owns the country's primary instrument manufacturer. Thirdly, he is very active on social media, 85% of his feeds consist of pictures of what he is eating and polite interactions with fans. 

Taehyun starts rebuilding the stack in the shape of an N, "Did you find anything interesting?" 

"Uh, yeah... Yeah, I did."

The word interesting does no justice to how easily Soobin draws Yeonjun in. From little aegyo clips Soobin's friends post to sexy stage appearances on variety shows to Youtube compilations of him being surprised because his fans think it's the cutest thing ever (Yeonjun refuses to confirm or deny that statement... Let’s just say he added a 100 or so views to that video alone.), his personality has a duality that leaves Yeonjun’s head spinning. He clearly has sides that he displays in front of the appropriate audience and he knows exactly when and how much to use them to charm the viewers.

Some interviews Yeonjun stumbles upon are professional, where Soobin only talks about Big Hit Entertainment and his position as a talent scout and future CEO of the company. He usually sits at a press conference table in a traditional black suit, hair slicked back to reveal his strong brow and ever perceptive eyes. In these types of videos, he sports a serious demeanor that makes it hard to remember his naturally pouty and flirtatious spark. He speaks slowly and properly, never once stuttering on an idea or losing his temper at a wayward question. Yeonjun can only watch a few minutes of those types of videos before feeling like he's encroaching on a Soobin he hasn't yet had permission to meet. Other interviews are playful and short, asking about his favorites for the month or little anecdotes from his life. He's still in a suit for most of them, but his small chuckles and relaxed mannerisms hint that he is more comfortable in this type of setting. He also has a tendency to randomly wink at the camera or the interviewer and it always leaves Yeonjun blushing like an idiot. 

“You wanted to know if he was single, didn't you?"

Anddd just like that, this conversation is over. Yeonjun abruptly turns towards the opposite side of the store, calling out, “Coming, Yonghee!”

His coworker looks up from his task of inspecting a puffer vest, obviously taken off guard, "Oh... 'Kay?"

Yeonjun ignores Taehyun's evil cackles as he nearly sprints in Yongee's direction. "How's everything going?" he asks politely when he's within proper speaking distance.

"Good. So far nothing returned seems damaged. Do you want me to put them back on the shelves?"

Yeonjun glances into the box of returns with pursed lips, "Ah. I need to enter the RFIDs in the system first since they have to be discounted. Whenever you finish inspecting them, just drop them off at the register and get me, alright?"

"Will do," Yonghee salutes him playfully, picking up another coat to review.

Yeonjun nods approvingly and goes to check on the last employee on shift when there's a call on the store phone. He rushes over to the register, almost panting when he reaches the counter, "Hello, this is North Face at the Galleria Mall. How can I help you?"

"I wanted to ask if you guys have XLs in store?"

Yeonjun shakes his head, starting to explain their sizing policy and stock when his breath catches in his chest. 

"... Hello?"

In a straight shot from the front door to the register, Yeonjun makes direct eye contact with none other than the unfairly attractive chaebol. The look they share is dark and heavy, the kind that makes Yeonjun consider ducking beneath the counter for relief. 

"Excuse me?"

Yeonjun surges forward when the woman's voice filters into his ears, "Y-yes! We, um, we only keep XL in certain styles in store."

"What styles?"

Yeonjun's palms begin to sweat as he admires Soobin's appearance in a state of semi developed panic. Today he's wearing an oversized cream sweater and light wash distressed jeans with the fiery red puffer coat that he bought from last time. His hair is fluffy and untamed, like he ran his fingers through it until he was satisfied and called it a day. Balanced precariously on top of the low effort style is the same red beanie Yeonjun convinced him to get; the sight sends an odd shock of pride through him. Even with a black mask concealing the rest of Soobin’s face from view, Yeonjun's knees go weak.

"Heeellloooo?"

The chaebol tilts his head slightly and Yeonjun's brain does a mental keyboard smash, all his thoughts revolving around _'Holy shit, holy shit, holy fucking shit, how are you so goddamn hot?!_ ' and ‘O _h my god, what am I even wearing today?_ ’ After a heated moment, Soobin simply turns to his immediate right and approaches a rack. Yeonjun lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Is anyone there?!"

Yeonjun stutters an apology to the poor woman on the phone, "Right! S-sorry, yes! Um, the phone- it disconnected for a moment. Let me look at the catalog." He forces his eyes onto the screen of his register, searching for the sizes they have in stock. He spends less than ten seconds actually focusing on it, "We have XL in Thermoball, Resolve, Denali, and all of our Retros. Is there a specific color you would like me to check?" 

"The black and gold in the Resolve line."

"Give me one second please." Out of the corner of his eye, Yeonjun watches Soobin scour through the rack of raincoats, pausing on one coat in particular. Yonghee glances up from his box of returns and calls out to Soobin, probably asking if he needs any help. Soobin lifts up a red raincoat that cinches at the waist, turning it in his hands. He says something to Yonghee that has his coworker nodding and moving towards the rack. Yeonjun remembers to process the words on his screen after a gap of silence ensues, "Currently we don't have that style in stock in XL. But I can check if any other stores nearby have it."

"That would be great."

Yonghee waves for Taehyun’s attention, and the younger crosses to him, joining in on their conversations. Yeonjun struggles to not eavesdrop from afar. "The North Face in the Union Mall has a few pairs in stock. Would you like me to request for them to keep one reserved for you?"

"Yes. Thank you so much." 

Taehyun nods, listening to Soobin speak for a moment, before gesturing towards Yeonjun with a smirk. Yeonjun wishes the floor could swallow him when their eyes link again, the air charged with something that has his thoughts crashing into each other. "N-no problem, ma'am. What name should I give them?"

"Sumi."

Yeonjun types the name diligently into the system and submits the request with his heart in his throat, "Alright, all done. Is there anything else I can help you with?" 

"No. That's all. Thanks again."

"You’re very welcome. Good luck shopping. Have a great day," Yeonjun somehow manages to follow his script then places the phone back into its cradle, unable to tear his gaze away from Soobin's as he closes the distance between them. "Hi," the greeting is breathy, a telltale sign of the effect Soobin has on him; he hates it. "How can I help you?"

"Wow, you look incredible," Soobin compliments him, crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes, "I like this color on you."

The older can’t help but flush, hand flying up to brush back his bangs nervously, "Thanks... It was Kai's idea." It’s been a week since Yeonjun embraced his new highlighter style, and it took two mental breakdowns and three self pity pints of peanut butter ice cream for it to start growing on him. The color attracts more attention than he’s ever gotten before which in turns makes him feel more confident, more daring, when he walks on campus or interacts with customers. However, the moment Soobin is in the general vicinity, apparently all of that seems to fly out the window. "What's with the mask?"

Soobin shrugs, eyes skimming downwards to take in Yeonjun’s uniform shirt and fitted dark blue jeans in a way that makes the older’s fingers grip the free edge of the counter tightly, "Trying to keep a low profile now that everyone knows I'm in Seoul."

"I'm sure anyone can tell who you are even with that mask on."

"Is that why you've been staring at me since I came in?" Yeonjun can hear the smirk in his voice, can hear how different his tone is compared to when he’s playing Mr. Nice Guy for the press. He isn’t sure why it excites him so much to know that this kind of Soobin is all his own. 

Yeonjun immediately changes the subject, determined to keep this conversation on track, "What did you need help with?"

"Taehyun-ssi said that you could help me find this jacket in a large."

Yeonjun suppresses the urge to strangle his coworker, leaning over the counter. "Can I see the tag?" Soobin extends his arm outwards and Yeonjun plucks at the piece of cardboard, reviewing the name and model of the jacket, "I'll be right back." He spins on his heels, heading to the other side of the store where The Pit entrance is. 

To his surprise, Soobin follows closely behind him, suddenly commenting, “Are you still single?” Yeonjun trips on his own feet upon hearing the question, almost flinging himself onto a mannequin right on cue. “Whoa, whoa,” Soobin doesn’t hesitate to drop the jacket and reach out in a lunge, catching Yeonjun’s flailing form by his sides, “You alright?”

Yeonjun stares blankly at the ground beneath him, skin underneath Soobin’s fingertips tingling from the slight contact, “Yes.” It sounds like a gasp, so clearly affected that Yeonjun has to swallow down the whine of his next sentence, “You can let go now.” The younger obeys his request just as quickly as he saves him, stepping back to give Yeonjun space. It does absolutely nothing to make his heart leave its new home in his throat. 

“So... Are you?”

Yeonjun glances up at the chaebol, hoping his face isn’t as pink as he thinks it is, “Uhm, yeah... I am.”

“Good.” 

“Right.”

They stand for a moment with Yeonjun pretending that his heart isn’t doing backflips because of the shameless way Soobin flirts with him. Then Soobin moves to pick up the fallen jacket at the same time as Yeonjun and they almost bump heads. The younger giggles, like full blown giggles, nose scrunching up so much that his eyes nearly close. Yeonjun thinks it should be illegal to have such a heavenly sound muffled by a mask. "I got it, Yeonjun-ssi," he says gently after a beat of Yeonjun staring, open mouthed and all.

Yeonjun straightens up, flustered, and nods, deciding to go in The Pit before he embarrasses himself more. He flicks the lightswitch several times, making a mental note to tell Sejun that the bulb is blown out, then picks up the flashlight right beside the door. He sweeps over the boxes as quick as he possibly can while simultaneously trying to regain control of his emotions. He unpacks the box with the proper label, scooping through the jackets as he chants, “He’s just a bro, just a bro, just a bro, just a bro.” When he lands on a size large of the raincoat he lets out a deep breath. 

_He can totally do this_. 

He returns back to Soobin to find the younger leaning on a display, phone in hand, “You should try it on. To make sure it fits.”

Soobin smiles hard enough to make a sliver of his dimple peek out of his mask, “Only if I get to hear your opinion on it."

 _Okay, maybe he can't_.

Yeonjun can feel the red settling over his skin, staining his cheeks, “What I think doesn’t really matter.”

Soobin’s brow furrows at the statement, “What?” 

Yeonjun busies his hands with placing the flashlight on the shelf and closing the door of The Pit, “Like I’m not famous or anything so like... Yeah, I just,” the way that Soobin’s eyes harden makes Yeonjun hesitate to finish his sentence. “Like I think, uhm, Kai has more expertise in that field, y’know?” 

“Kai hasn’t been able to dress himself since he was five.”

The comment makes Yeonjun cackle in agreement, thinking about the amount of times he’s done recon on the outfits Kai chooses to wear in public. They’re often bright and tacky (a beloved part of his charm) and his personal assistant is too scared to tell the young chaebol that he looks like a walking rainbow. Which means Yeonjun is the only one able to dress him properly and it’s identical to negotiating with a fucking toddler. Yeonjun isn't sure how many times he's had to say the phrase, 'Give it!' to the 20 year old, but he's sure he can rival a mom raising a rebellious kid any day. “Okay, okay, then Beomgyu-ssi definitely has more knowledge in this field,” Yeonjun counters.

Soobin slips out of his red puffer and into the raincoat Yeonjun brought as he shakes his head, "Being famous doesn't make your opinion magically more important. Besides, I didn't ask for either of their opinions. I came alone so that I could hear yours."

Yeonjun isn't sure why the statement makes the back of his neck hot, "... I-I'm not sure what to say."

Soobin merely shrugs, "You don't have to say anything; now judge me.” He spins in slow circles, giving a 360 that only serves to further scramble Yeonjun’s thoughts.

 _You look like a fucking full course meal_. Yeonjun keeps that thought to himself along with the last drop of self dignity he holds, opting to instead say, "It looks good on you."

"Is that the best you got?" Soobin teases playfully.

Yeonjun smirks at the challenge, "Will you buy it if I give my best pitch?”

“We’ll see.”

“Okay, tuck the right side of the sweater into your jeans then put your hands in your pocket. Right leg out, tilt your head- no, the other way. Perfect! And now give me that look. You know. The one you do for your magazine covers, yesss, that one!” Yeonjun nods approvingly at the pose, lifting his hands to make a frame around Soobin. His fingers itch to remove Soobin’s mask, to see the younger’s expressions in their full glory, but he has to remind himself that those aren’t his to see anyways. He just enjoys the way that his eyes narrow into intense slits, confidence oozing out so clearly in a way that makes Yeonjun break into a little smile. “Yeah, this is definitely streetwear model material. You look” _-like a full course meal-_ “handsome.”

“Sold,” Soobin says simply, causing Yeonjun to clap excitedly. They walk back over to the counter after he changes back into his other coat and, as Yeonjun set aside the original medium sized jacket to rehang, Soobin leans on his elbow, chin cupped, “So you’ve seen my magazine covers?”

Yeonjun abruptly spins around, hanging the piece of clothing onto the garment rack behind him as an opportunity to keep from combusting. _God_ why on earth did he say that out loud? He clears his throat noisily, “Occasionally.”

“Did you like what you saw?”

Yeonjun opens his mouth in a soundless scream before turning back to Soobin with a nonchalant shrug, “They’re pretty standard spreads for a chaebol.”

“You think I’m a standard chaebol?”

“Depends on what you think a standard chaebol is,” Yeonjun scans the tag, starting to fold down the jacket.

“And what do you think a standard chaebol is?”

“A rich kid.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s the definition, isn’t it?”

“What is a standard chaebol to you specifically?”

“Well, if we’re getting specific: an entitled, spoiled brat who’s never worked a day in his life.”

“Ouch,” Soobin places a hand onto his chest, rising to his full height. "That hurt."

Yeonjun chuckles, daring to lift his gaze to those wide doe eyes, “Shouldn’t hurt if it’s not accurate.”

“Why don’t you find out?”

"Your total is $346," Yeonjun chokes out, ducking beneath the counter to pick up a bag.

"What do you like to do?"

"Huh?"

Soobin leans over the counter to peek at Yeonjun, "What do you like to do? Skate, bowl, sing?"

"Don't skate, can't sing," he answers after a delayed beat, curious as to what prompted Soobin to ask a question like that. "But I'm a master at bowling."

"Great! How does this Thursday sound?"

Yeonjun blinks once slowly, then twice, then looks down at the sack in his hand and back up at Soobin to make sure he isn't dreaming, "... I'm sorry, did you just... Did you just ask me out?"

"I did."

"Oh." If Yeonjun attempted to ask Soobin out, he's sure his heart would've dropped through his ass as he stuttered his way around a coherent sentence. But the chaebol didn't trip on a single word. As if he didn't have to think twice about the question. As if he actually was interested in Yeonjun. The older hastily stomps out the ember before it catches light. He can't let something as outrageous as that thought fester. Soobin is just another rich kid looking for a challenge, for someone to mess around with while they wait for their future to fall into their lap. It's all a game of convenience to chaebols like him. Right now Yeonjun is fresh, unattainable, a catch. Give it a few months and he'll likely be nothing more than a fun afterthought. Soobin can afford to start, stop, and pause relationships whenever he gets bored of them; he probably doesn't even think twice about the ones he's lost. But Yeonjun doesn't want to be a part of that list, doesn't know if he could handle it. Dating a celebrity can be a daydream, his secret crazy wish, but not something he can ever actually pursue. 

Soobin continues when no further comment comes, "So Thursday? At 7? I'm thinking we play a few rounds and then catch dinner. I'll find a nice place for a reservation."

"Wait, wait," Yeonjun stands up, expecting Soobin to return to his own side of the register, but the man remains in his position of leaning in Yeonjun’s already limited space. The close proximity significantly reduces Yeonjun’s thinking ability to a few frames per second and he has to focus on a puffer display just behind Soobin’s head to get his words out, "I don't think you understand what the words 'I don't date' mean."

"Hm, I don't recall hearing that," Soobin grins beneath his mask, eyes glimmering, "Anyways, I'll send a car with a guard. Paparazzi can be vicious."

Yeonjun laughs in disbelief, "Okay, I'm going to say this again and this time I want you to watch my lips," Soobin's gaze drops so quickly that Yeonjun almost loses his train of thought, "I. don't. date. Ah, ah, I'm not done," he raises a hand when Soobin rolls his eyes, "And, even if I did, there's no fucking way I'd let my date send someone to pick me up. Or deal with paparazzi. Now, cash or card?"

Soobin cocks an eyebrow and Yeonjun desperately shoves down the stupid spike of attraction that comes as a result of the action, "Card. And I can pick you up-"

"Go ahead and swipe," Yeonjun taps away at his screen, reminding himself not to give in, that it will only backfire in the end anyways. He opens the paperbag and slips the jacket inside as Soobin stands there, seemingly frozen. 

Yeonjun counts almost 30 uninterrupted seconds of eye contact before the chaebol asks, "Did you just... reject me?"

"I did."

Soobin’s head tilts, brows pulling tight together before suddenly releasing, "Wow, okay, that's- Should have expected that."

"Expected what?"

"To work for it," he says, as if it is obvious, unlocking his phone and tapping to pay. "You won't win that easily, Yeonjun-ssi."

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

"It means this isn't over."

Yeonjun clicks through the buttons on the register, printing out the receipt and shoving it into the bag, "Pretty sure it is."

"I think you are underestimating the amount of patience I have."

"I truly don't think you have any to begin with," Yeonjun pushes the bag towards the edge of the counter. 

"Which is true," Soobin caves instantly, hand wrapping around the bag handles. "But I'll make some for you."

It suddenly clicks, "You’re not going to quit trying until I say yes?"

"Yep," Soobin pops the 'p', "Once you say yes, I'll make sure you ask yourself why you didn't agree any sooner." Yeonjun’s comeback dies in his throat when Soobin hooks a finger in his mask and pulls it down just enough to flash a dazzling smile, "Don't let anyone else get to you meanwhile, 'kay?" Yeonjun can only nod, mouth useless, eyes wide, and Soobin looks satisfied as he moves his mask back over his nose, "See you soon, Yeonjun-ssi."

The wink that follows leaves Yeonjun flushing and biting back a small smile. "Here you go," Yonghee appears beside Yeonjun suddenly, making the older jump in surprise. "Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. Taehyun told me to wait until your boyfriend was gone to-"

"He's not my boyfriend."

Yonghee purses his lips, confusion lacing his features, "... Rightttt, um, well I'm all done. I'll see you guys next weekend."

"Right, yeah. Forgot you get off early now. See you Friday," Yeonjun gives him a small wave that his coworker returns. He waits all the way until Yonghee has left the general vicinity to yell, "Taehyun, you're on trash duty!"

The younger just snickers in response, replying from the boot display in the store, "Your mom!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally finished my first summer class so I can actually sit down and write more than one book at a time :"))) I put up a twt poll for my next fic, but I want to know if any of you guys who read more than one of my books want another fic before these two are done? I don't wanna overwhelm you guys 🥴let me know your thoughts in the comments below. thank you for 3 billion reads <333


	5. space

Yeonjun props his phone onto his desk, pulling out his animal behavior textbook. "He sounds like a douche," he consoles Ryujin as she rants about her last blind date, "You can do so much better than him anyways."

"You're just as sweet as ever," she giggles, pulling her hair into a high ponytail, "Enough about me. You still work at the mall, right?"

Yeonjun nods, double checking the page number on his notes before flipping open the thick book, "Yeah, I do. You still work at that make up store on the second floor?"

"Yes. You should come by and let me do your face one day!"

Yeonjun barks a laugh, producing a highlighter from his bottom of his bag after a short search, "Eh, why not? Maybe I'll drop in sometime this week."

"Good, I've been dying to try something with this new hair color of yours," Ryujin claps, eyes turning into cute crescents out of excitement, "You better not flake on me!"

"I won't, I promise," Yeonjun smiles, having missed the feeling of conversations with friends, "I'll text you later. I need to finish this assignment or else Professor Kim will have another reason to fail me." Once they hang up, Yeonjun gets comfortable at his desk, pulling one leg onto his chair to lean onto as he starts to read. 

Over the past month, Yeonjun's school and work life have had him occupied enough to _almost_ distract him from the fact that seeing Soobin has become more of a routine these days.

 _Almost_ being the key word.

But, true to his word, Soobin comes to their place at least twice a week, typically bearing food. Sometimes he sticks to Kai's bedroom, playing games with the younger until late in the night and only going home when Yeonjun bangs on the door for them to shut up. Sometimes he sits on the edge of Yeonjun's bed and watches him study as if it's the most interesting sight in the world. It's unnerving in the best way possible, keeping Yeonjun's stomach coiled in a tight knot of excitement each and every time. They talk whenever he glances up from his book (which, if he’s being honest, is more often than necessary when the younger is there), flirty and suggestive banter, nothing more. Yeonjun wouldn’t say he _craves_ the attention that Soobin gives him, but it’s a nice distraction from his real world responsibilities for a short time and reminds him of what it feels like to have someone who makes the back of his neck glow bright red from a single compliment.

His phone vibrates on the desk beside his textbook and he peeks at the screen to see a text from Kai.

**Ningning 🐧**

**hyunggggggieeee  
** **i ordered a new fan online and it** **just came in  
** **can you help me install it? 🥺  
** **i'll get your fav ramen tonite  
** _Read 6:20pm_

Yeonjun holds down the voice message option, letting out a long groan and then, "Yeah. I got it." 

**Ningning 🐧**

**thanks hyung, u're the best  
** _Read 6:22pm_

 **I know  
** **Be safe, get back soon  
** _Read 6:22pm_

He marks his place with a streak of yellow, closes the book then exits his bedroom. He crosses the quiet apartment, grabbing the small brown box sitting outside their front door and moving into the kitchen to find a knife to cut the tape. As he's digging into the box, a knock comes and, thinking that it must be Kai's assistant, Yeonjun calls out, "Door's unlocked, Jin hyung!" He continues focusing on cutting away the box, explaining when the door opens, "Kai's sisters came over earlier today. I double checked that they weren’t going anywhere too public so it should be fine, but in case something goes wrong, we should come up with damage control."

Kai’s situation with his family is complex. Some time last year, Kai had come out to the company board, which included his parents. To say that their reaction was hostile would be an understatement. Despite being the first male in the family, and thus the next in line to lead the company, his parents decided to transfer that position to his older sister Lea after hearing the news. Less than 24 hours after they chose to bar Kai from being CEO, they called a press conference to announce the change in leadership to their shareholders, simply stating that Kai had begun to pursue ‘ _interests that interfered with future company plans_.’ That conflict of interests meant that Kai was no longer supposed to associate himself with the company, which included his sisters. But, with how rebellious the Huening children are, it was no surprise that they started to hang out in secret. 

"Ah, Kai was saying something about that earlier this week," Yeonjun almost breaks his neck with how fast he looks up at the unexpected voice. There Soobin stands, masked and all, hair hidden beneath a crimson bucket hat. He’s wearing a simple black sweat set that looks more put together than Yeonjun has ever been. He tilts his head slightly, "I'm not intruding, am I?"

_Yes. You are._

"Uhm,” Yeonjun tries to remember what he has on, but his brain stalls. “... N-no. I'm just-" he glances down at the box he's cutting at, eyes flickering to his Pokémon boxers and oversized tee. Yeonjun is aware that this is the second time that Soobin has seen him in his bummiest attire and it’s just as embarrassing as the first time. At least today his hair is somewhat styled, having been freshly washed and blow dried this morning. He finishes his sentence after an awkward delay, "opening a box."

"Sounds fun," the chaebol steps out of his shoes, pulling his mask down to his chin, "What's inside?" 

Yeonjun nearly cuts himself when he looks back up to see pretty pink lips pursed curiously. "Oh, um," he finishes cutting away the tape, lifting the flaps of the box to reveal a new purple to green duo chrome fan, "A fan for Kai's PC. He asked me to install it for him."

Soobin shuts and locks the door before venturing into the apartment, "I didn't know you worked on computers."

"Just a little. I had to learn at my old job," Yeonjun remarks quietly, tossing the box into their recycle bin. "Um... Well, I'm gonna... Go put it in," he cringes immediately, booking it towards Kai's bedroom before Soobin can reply. But, of course, footsteps follow him and he tries to reign in his nerves. "How have you been?"

“Busy,” Soobin sighs and Yeonjun affirms the statement with a knowing hum as they enter Kai’s messy bedroom. “Scouting is much more difficult in such a massive city.”

Yeonjun wonders aloud as he kicks aside a fallen plushie (Kai would’ve murdered him if he saw), “What was living in Daegu like?”

“It was... nice. It felt cozy almost. Everyone knew of each other and new faces were easy to locate. It was quiet and no one followed me to my apartment with cameras or unmarked cars. It had been a little lonely when Kai first moved away, but,” Soobin sits on the corner of Kai’s mattress while Yeonjun falls into Kai’s huge gaming chair, digging into his desk for his toolkit. “Gyu made it better. And then he left. So it was only a matter of time until I followed them.”

“You didn’t have any other friends?” Yeonjun jokes, finding the appropriate sized screwdriver and rolling to the edge of the desk towards the glowing LED lined desktop.

Soobin shakes his head easily, “Nope.”

Yeonjun’s jaw unhinges temporarily, “Oh...”

“Ever since I was a kid, most people only talked to me because they wanted to be scouted. They thought that I could just go to my dad and be like, ‘Put them in a group’ or something,” Soobin plays with the hem of his shirt, eyes trained on a spot on the floor. “So, I kind of just stopped looking for friends at 12 or so. Kai and Beomgyu were the only people I met that didn’t care about what I could give them.” Suddenly his eyes flash to meet Yeonjun’s, intense and sharp, “And now you.”

“How do you know that?” Yeonjun is pretty sure his stomach does a quadruple flip as he struggles to hold the weight of Soobin’s stare.

“You’ve never asked for anything. You also didn’t even know who I was when we first met.”

“I’m bad at keeping up with celebrities.”

“You don’t say,” Soobin quips sarcastically and just like that the trance is gone.

Yeonjun rolls his eyes, shifting in his chair and lowering his gaze, “Alright, asshole.” He starts to unscrew the small rivets holding the outer frame of the desktop together with a slight, unintentional pout.

“How do you make cursing sound cute?”

“W-what? I- I do _not_ ,” Yeonjun objects, coaxing the cover off of the front of the machine after removing all the screws. “I sound intimidating.”

“Says a literal baby duck.”

Yeonjun’s cheeks react before he does, “A what?!”

“A baby duck,” Soobin smirks, his dumb dimples sinking deep and distracting Yeonjun from his task at hand. “Kai says you’re more of a fox, but I think a duck suits you better.”

“I genuinely do not remember asking,” Yeonjun wills the blush in his cheeks to subside while he gripes.

Soobin hums, clearly amused, “I think you just did.”

“Shut up,” Yeonjun commands without much bite, leaning deeper into the desktop to uncross the wires on the back of Kai’s old fan unit. “I can’t hear myself think.”

The silence is comfortable when it blankets the room, the steady whirring of all of Kai’s gadgets and the air conditioning masking the erratic beating of Yeonjun’s heart and the quiet shifting of Soobin as he gets comfortable on the bed. Yeonjun is able to completely remove and inspect the old fan before the chaebol randomly speaks again, “Kai really appreciates you, y’know? Even before I moved here, he would talk about you for hours. Said you were really mean, but he knew it was all an act. Said you were a great hyung.”

Yeonjun tries to work around his knot of a tongue at the news, “Um... That’s... That’s good.” He has to force himself not to facepalm at how lame it sounds. “I mean, I’m glad that-that...” he glances at Soobin’s reclined position on the bed, propped up on one arm to watch Yeonjun with such intent that it only scrambles his thoughts further, “... Kai cares about you a lot too. He’s been a lot happier with you around. He missed you more than he’ll probably admit.”

“Thanks for taking care of him while I was gone.” 

“It was nothing.”

“Seriously, Yeonjun-ssi, thank you. I was worried about him until he found you.”

“... Hyung.”

"Huh?"

"... Call me hyung."

Soobin’s right brow arches and his natural pout twist into an infuriatingly attractive grin, "Pet names so soon?"

"Don't make me take it back."

"Sorry, sorry," Soobin sits up, lifting his hands in mock surrender. "Thanks, _hyung_." 

Yeonjun isn’t sure what to say so he drops his gaze to the new fan in his lap and clears his throat, “So,” he picks at the exposed wires, “why’d you come over today?”

"I figured you'd be home since you don't work or have classes on Thursday,” Soobin says simply. “Then Kai told me he was going out. And I knew how much you liked having company.”

Yeonjun huffs out a laugh that is mostly air and nerves, “I’m 21, not 11, Soobin-ssi.”

“Soobinie,” the chaebol corrects, his grin still stretching his pink lips thin and awaking the butterflies in Yeonjun’s stomach. Yeonjun doesn’t reply, instead focusing on installing the new fan in place of the old one. He manages to connect the main ground connection before Soobin is rising to his feet, “Let me take you out.”

Yeonjun tenses his entire body, toes curling in his socks, “I don’t-”

“Date? Yeah, I know,” Soobin dismisses the comment with a wave of his hand, closing their distance much more quickly than Yeonjun was prepared for. As he leans against the desk beside Yeonjun, the faint smell of cinnamon and spice follows him, “This is, like, the hundredth time you’ve reminded me.”

Yeonjun takes a deep breath, hoping it’s not as loud as it feels, because _fuck_ this is not a conversation he ever imagined having. “Because this is the hundredth time you’ve asked me out,” he squints at the last copper wire left, wrapping it tightly to another exposed wire and leaning back in satisfaction, “Has anyone ever told you that you’re stubborn?”

“Strong willed is the proper term actually-”

“No, I’m pretty confident that you’re just _really_ fucking stubborn.”

“I could say the same for you.”

Yeonjun scoffs, eyes darting up to Soobin to find unexpected warmth, “There are plenty of guys who want to date you.”

“And then there’s you.”

Yeonjun switches his attention back to affixing the cover back onto the desktop, “I know this is a foreign concept to you, but people can not want to date you, Soobin-ssi-”

“Soobinie,” the chaebol interjects quickly. “And I’m well aware that I’m not everyone’s type, but I’ve never met someone who so clearly is into me and yet they won’t accept any of my offers.” 

_Is it really that obvious?_

Yeonjun hates how hot his neck feels, “Anyone ever tell you that you’re more attractive when you’re quiet?”

“No, actually, they haven’t.”

“Well, you are,” Yeonjun finishes twisting in the last screw, trying to make sure his expression remains neutral.

“Did you just call me attractive?”

“Is there a point to this conversation?”

Soobin chuckles, the sound soothing and unnerving at the same time, “Look, just give me one chance.”

“Nope.”

“We can go wherever you want.”

“Nah.”

“I’ll pay for everything.”

“How about no?”

Suddenly Soobin wraps a hand around the arm of the gaming chair and tugs it until Yeonjun is properly facing him, “How about this? You can think of it as a friendly hang out. If you hate it, I won’t bother you again. If you enjoy yourself, then you’ll go on an actual date with me.” Yeonjun starts to object when Soobin’s other hand lands on the opposite arm of the chair, effectively caging him in and disrupting any train of thought forming. This close up Yeonjun sees the dusting of dark brown shadow on the outer edges of Soobin’s eyes and can’t stop his gaze from ticking downwards to his pronounced cupid bow and stupid, shiny pink lips. “One afternoon is all I’m asking for... What do you say, hyung?”

Yeonjun presses his heels into the ground, swallowing the lump in his throat as he leans back in the chair to create space between them, “A friendly hang out?”

“Yeah.”

“You won’t try to make any moves?”

“Hm,” the younger seems to consider the question with a mischievous smirk, sending Yeonjun’s heart into a frenzy, “no promises on that.”

“That sounds dangerous.”

“I’ll be on my best behavior.”

Yeonjun isn’t sure why he shivers at the comment. “I get to choose where we go?” Soobin nods. “... Okay... I want to go to Lotte World.”

“The amusement park? Really?”

Yeonjun defends his date- ahem, ‘hang out’ choice, “You said anywhere I want to go.”

“I mean, I just expected- like I thought you would choose something more,” Soobin hesitates, at a loss for words.

“More what?”

“More... Expensive?”

Yeonjun frowns, “Lotte World _is_ expensive. $40 just to get in and then even more for food and games? That’s a whole day’s work, y’know?” The way Soobin’s head tilts shows him that the chaebol clearly does not know. It’s a reminder of how different they really are and serves to leave a bitter taste in Yeonjun’s mouth. He plants his feet down, starting to roll backwards to create more space between the two, “Just forget it-”

“No, no! We can go! I haven’t been before. It will be fun to see what’s out there,” Soobin’s grip keeps Yeonjun from rolling away, “What day works for you?”

“... Next Thursday. I have one meeting for a group project at 10 am, but we should be done by noon.”

Soobin nods, a dazzling smile exposing his perfectly straight front teeth and it somehow makes Yeonjun reciprocate the action, “You won’t regret-”

“I’m home, hyunggggg!” the front door opens at the same time that Kai’s loud introduction rings through the otherwise silent apartment. “I brought your ramen!”

“T-thanks!” Yeonjun places his hands on Soobin’s chest, totally ignoring how solid the chaebol’s muscles feel as he pushes himself backwards. Soobin releases his hold on the chair, allowing Yeonjun to roll away with pink cheeks and a poorly suppressed smile. “I’m in your room!”

Kai arrives in the doorway, mask hanging off of one ear, oversized hoodie, puffer jacket and beanie covering his recognizable features from his trip out, “Oh, Soobinie hyung! I didn’t know you were gonna be here,” he steps inside the room, placing the takeout onto his bed as he shrugs out of his puffer, “Are you staying for dinner?”

Soobin steps around the gaming desk, crossing in front of Yeonjun who tries to seem disinterested in his response, “Nah, Gyu wants to use the studio tonight for some practice and I promised him that I would work the soundboard. Run into any paparazzi?”

Kai shakes his head, removing his beanie and mask, “For once, no. But a few fans did notice us. We left before they asked for pictures though.”

“Good,” the two men say in sync and Yeonjun clears his throat awkwardly. Soobin tongues his cheek to fight back a smirk, glancing over his shoulder to the elder, “Try not to miss me while I’m gone.”

Yeonjun has to use every single surviving brain cell to bark out a laugh, “In your dreams, Soobin.”

The chaebol’s lips twitch at the corners out of amusement, “Rightttt. I’ll see you soon, Yeonjun hyung.” Kai raises a brow at the affectionate term, but then Soobin hugs him goodbye. “Mind letting me out?”

Kai walks him to the front door, closing and locking it immediately after Soobin exits. Yeonjun is already on his feet, tiptoeing to the safety of his room with his takeout box clutched tightly in his hands, “Wait, hyung, what was that-”

“I finished installing your fan.” 

“Okay, but-”

“Let me know if anything seems weird when you play tonight.”

“I will-”

“Thanks for dinner!” Yeonjun darts into his room, slamming the door shut after him. He collapses into his chair dramatically, head tipping back as he stares up at the ceiling, unsure of what the hell just happened.

_Fuck... Is this a date_ _?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so many of you all have expressed how much flirty soobin makes your day and I just want to let you know that yeonjun completely agrees 😭 let me know your thoughts on this chapter in the comments below!
> 
> (p.s! if you were waiting until I finished [angel or devil](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22290661/chapters/53235454)  
> it's all done now >:))


	6. y

“So there’s five phases to crushes,” Taehyun begins his speech as Ryujin fusses with Yeonjun’s bangs. “The first one is the ‘ _Puppy Love_ ’ phase. It can also be classified as ‘love at first sight’ or, for the more realistic crowd, the first interaction between the perceived couple. Yours started when you saw Soobin at work and couldn’t even put together a sentence.” Yeonjun opens his mouth to object, but Taehyun powers on, “The second level is the ‘ _Playground_ ’ phase; it’s a bit more comfortable since you two move onto teasing each other rather than flirting. This one technically started when he came over for dinner that time and is still happening now. The third level is the ‘ _Coming of Age_ ’ phase-”

“-Taehyun, I’m a senior in college-”

“This is the stage in which your crush starts to feel like you’re in a movie. This phase officially begins at your first date.”

“This isn’t even a date!”

“ _What_?” Ryujin shrieks, head whipping over her shoulder to look at Taehyun, “You told me he had a date today.”

“It’s a friendly hang out-”

“-A date-”

Yeonjun growls at his coworker, “I will literally end you.”

“Hyung, you can’t even open a pickle jar without someone’s help.”

“But I _can_ karate chop your throat.”

“And I _can_ bench your body weight without breaking a sweat,” Taehyun replies in a matter of fact tone that Yeonjun actually believes considering the younger’s kinesiology major and very ripped arm muscles. “It’s a date, Ryu noona.”

“-Noona? When did you guys get so close?-”

“Is he cute?” Ryujin places down the comb in her hand to grab a fluffy makeup brush instead. “Or are you settling?” She swirls the bristles into a small compact and glides the brush all over the center of his face, “Be honest.”

Yeonjun tints pink when both of their stares land on him, awaiting a response, “Um... No, I think- I mean, he’s not bad looking by any means.”

Ryujin nods, seemingly satisfied, while Taehyun continues his point from earlier, “Like I was saying before I was _rudely_ interrupted, this date will be the determining factor of whether or not you two keep talking.”

“You’re making it sound like this is a K-drama or something,” Yeonjun groans, fighting against the butterflies in his stomach at the mere idea.

“Y’all are going to Lotte World, right? That’s literally K-drama material,” Ryujin steps back with her brush in hand, squinting as she takes in her work, “What do you think, Taehyun-ah? Should I have gone darker on the eyes?”

Taehyun turns from shuffling through Yeonjun’s collection of jewelry to give a long whistle, “No, that’s perfect.”

Yeonjun squirms, feeling a bit uncomfortable under their scrutinizing gazes, “Isn’t this kinda useless? I’m gonna be sweating all day anyways.”

“I used a 24 hour primer, sweatproof BB cream, _and_ set your face with powder. This isn’t budging until you wash your face tonight,” Ryujin explains, dragging the brush in her hand across his cheeks one last time. “But the shadow isn’t waterproof so don’t touch your eyes. Now pucker up, lover boy.”

Yeonjun pouts at the nickname as Ryujin dives back into her makeup bag, abandoning her brush and compact, “I’m not in love.”

“That’s because you have two more crush phases to climb.”

“What are they? Ah, got it,” Ryujin lifts up a soft pink lip tint triumphantly, then approaches Yeonjun, tilting his chin upwards. “Pucker up.”

Taehyun returns to looking through necklaces as Ryujin starts to paint Yeonjun’s lips, “Level four is usually the make or break of their relationship. It’s called the ‘ _You’re absolutely fucked_ ’ phase. This takes place after the first date and normally one person notices before the other which leads to an unnecessary amount of pining.” Ryujin rubs her lips together and Yeonjun mimics the motion until she nods. “The last, perhaps the sweetest, phase of them all is ‘ _Holy shit, this is love_.’ This happens when each person has admitted their love for the other and now things like marriage and kids don’t feel so far away-”

“Jesus, I’m barely finishing college,” Yeonjun interjects once Ryujin steps away and starts to pack up her cosmetics strewn across his desk. “Kids and marriage are the last thing on my mind. Besides, none of those are even remotely realistic. What about all the fights and arguments and stuff?”

Taehyun closes the distance between them, standing beside Ryujin, “Those are a part of the _‘Coming of Age_ ’ phase. Y’know, where the main character has a dramatic breakdown in their bedroom and does something drastic like dying their hair.”

Ryujin gasps, hand freezing on the zipper of her overstuffed makeup bag, “Don’t tell me he’s the reason you dyed your hair?”

Yeonjun jumps to his feet, shaking his head excessively, “No-”

“Alright, pick one,” Taehyun lifts his hands up for the older to inspect, holding a simple gold chain that came as a hand-me-down from his mom’s personal collection in his right hand and a silver necklace with a Y charm that had been Yeonjun’s first expensive purchase in his left. Yeonjun carefully glances between the two options before choosing the silver piece. “Good choice. C’mere.”

Yeonjun bends his knees slightly so that Taehyun can secure the necklace easily then peeks at his reflection in the mirror. “Holy shit,” he breathes, shocked at just how different he looks. Taehyun helped him choose a look consisting of ripped, wide legged jeans and a black baggy graphic tee that he loosely tucked on one side. It was a complete 180 compared to his usual get up of lounge sets and sportswear and he wasn’t that upset about it. He kept his accessories simple, only wearing a nice silver ring on his ring finger and a broken watch (that he refuses to replace simply because Kai had gotten it for him as a move-in gift three years ago). 

When Yeonjun agreed to having his makeup done, he hadn’t known what to expect. Before today, the most he had dabbled in was cheek and lip tints. But Ryujin promised that she would do something light and soft for his first time, reminding Yeonjun that if he didn’t like it, he could just wash his face. After one short glance in the mirror, he’s glad that he trusted her. His skin looks soft and smooth with a healthy glow of peachy blush on the apples of his cheeks. Ryujin used a light brown shadow to outline his eyes in a way that made them look more open and expressive. She then proceeded to actually style his hair for once, sweeping the left side back and leaving the rest as a side bang. The style obscures his vision slightly, but Ryujin swats at his hand when he goes to move it, “Aht, aht, don’t touch. I did _not_ do all that work for you to ruin it before he sees it.” 

Yeonjun pouts just as the unmistakable sound of a knock comes from the front door. They collectively freeze and then yell in unison, “Coming!” 

Yeonjun scrambles to his dresser, choosing a random cologne and spritzing himself, “Fuck, whew, okay, fuck!”

“Calm down, you look good,” Taehyun says, dragging Ryujin towards the living room with one arm while the other pushes Yeonjun in the direction of the front door. “Wait, did you brush your teeth?”

“Of course I-” Yeonjun stops to check his breath in the palm of his hand, satisfied when it’s minty, “-brushed my teeth. I’m not a caveman.” He approaches the door, listening to his friends crash onto the couch then twists the doorknob. Soobin is there in all his glory, wearing a sheer, loose white t-shirt and black cotton shorts that end above his knee, a red face mask bunched at his chin. Yeonjun tries not to be frustrated by the fact that such a simple outfit makes him want to drool, “Sorry about the wait.” A few moments pass where Soobin doesn’t reply to the statement, instead opting to stare at Yeonjun without blinking. It makes him want to shrink into a speck of dust. “... Um, let me put my shoes on and I’ll be ready,” Yeonjun steps back to allow for Soobin to enter, but the chaebol remains frozen. “... ‘Kay... So, the door is gonna close so I can... Y’know, put my shoes on,” Yeonjun awkwardly explains as the door falls back into place and then whips around to find Taehyun and Ryujin giggling between each other. “Am I missing something?”

“Nooo, not at all, hyung,” Taehyun sings while Ryujin breaks into a Cheshire grin. “Just remember you’re hot shit and that payment for our services is due when you come home.”

Yeonjun rolls his eyes at the comment, stepping into his trusted pair of beat up Nikes and mumbling to himself, “You guys were the ones who wanted to do this.”

Once Yeonjun finishes double knotting his laces, Ryujin squeals excitedly from the couch, “Don’t forget to text us a play by play!”

“With pics!”

“Yes! With pics-”

“-I’m not gonna take pictures with him! Besides it’s rude to be on your phone when you’re around other people!-”

“-Not if it’s not a date,” Taehyun fires back with a smirk.

“Get a life!” Yeonjun hisses then yanks the door back open, “I’m ready now.” He calls into the apartment as he steps out, “Lock it for me! Wake Kai up at 1!”

“Have fun on your d-”

Yeonjun closes the door with more force than necessary, letting out an forced giggle, “Alright! Let’s go.” He starts to walk towards the elevator in the hall, but his footsteps are the only sound that he hears. He glances over his shoulder to see Soobin still standing there, eyebrows pulling together, lips pursed. “What are you doing?”

“Looking.”

“At?”

“You.”

All of Yeonjun’s thoughts come to a screeching halt, "Huh?"

"I'm looking at you."

“W-well, stop it.”

“What?” Soobin tips his head to the side, gaze dropping in another shameless display of attraction, “I can’t look at you?”

“Why would you?”

“Because you look good. Really, really good,” Soobin praises in a deep baritone that has Yeonjun cursing his pale skin as heat races up his neck, “I feel a bit underdressed now.”

“Don’t. You look nice too,” his hair is in waves, a style that Yeonjun has had the pleasure of seeing in old magazine shoots and now in person; he presses his palms against his thighs when the urge to run his fingers through the messy locks comes. “I like your hair like this.”

“Thanks,” the chaebol smirks and Yeonjun regrets complimenting him at all when his stomach starts to feel warm. “But really though, you look incredible. I can’t believe you did all this for our first d-“

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Yeonjun commands, embarrassment threatening to make him implode, “I did this because I felt like it, not because of _you_.” He marches off to the elevator, this time with a chuckling Soobin in tow, and it isn’t until the doors close and they’re halfway to the ground floor that he remarks, “The air quality is supposed to be good today. You don’t have to wear a mask.”

As if suddenly reminded of its presence, Soobin plays with the fire red fabric before pulling it over his nose, “I saw. But I figured you wouldn’t want random people approaching us for pictures all day.”

“Oh,” Yeonjun blinks as the doors slide open in front of them, “Forgot about that for a moment.”

Soobin’s fingers gently graze the back of Yeonjun’s arm to guide him out of the elevator and towards the parking garage, “I’m glad I remembered your requests from last time then.”

“Huh?” the older tries to think past the little tingles on his skin. “What requests?”

They approach a shiny white and black BMW that looks like it costs more than Yeonjun’s school debt and earthly possessions combined. Soobin leans around Yeonjun, clicking a small button on the door handle, and Yeonjun tries not to show his shock when the door lifts upward rather than outwards, “You said you wouldn’t let your date send someone to pick you up or deal with paparazzi. So I’ll be driving us wherever you want to go.”

Yeonjun mutters as he lowers into the seat, fighting to keep his voice from wavering, “This isn’t a date.”

“Not yet, but practice makes perfect, right?” Soobin flashes Yeonjun bright teeth and crescent eyes and the older man quickly switches his gaze to take in the interior of the car. It’s a pretty white leather that Yeonjun is sure takes several handwashes to maintain, the stitching along the seat and gear shift the same crimson red that he’s noticed on countless occasions. Soobin crosses the front of the car, climbing into the driver’s seat and clipping into his seatbelt. He glances in Yeonjun’s direction, a small smile hiking up the corner of his lip at Yeonjun’s awestruck gaze, “Buckle up, hyung.” 

Yeonjun pulls the belt over his chest, settling into the seat. “What about the doors?” he tilts his head upwards, realizing the handle is out of reach.

“What about them?”

“They’re-” he starts to gesture to the obvious issue at hand as Soobin cranks the car with a push of the button, but then the doors of the car start to automatically lower and close them in. “... Nevermind, show off.”

Soobin laughs goodnaturedly, a squeaky snort that makes something warm stir in Yeonjun’s gut, as he shifts the gear into drive, “Hope you don’t mind speeding.”

Yeonjun scoffs at the prospect of him being afraid of the chaebol stepping on the gas, “It’ll take more than a little speed to scare me.” And he is actually _extremely_ incorrect. Within the first five minutes of pulling off, Yeonjun is whiteknuckling the roof handle and praying for the ride to be over already. “ _Fuck_ , who taught you how to drive?!”

Soobin giggles while switching lanes, speedometer never going below 80, “Some older idols at my dad’s company.” His eyes are trained straight ahead, shoulders relaxed and he almost looks peaceful. Yeonjun has to remind himself not to openly stare. “One of them races in his free time and used to let me take his car out for joy rides when I was first learning.”

“Seriously?! Isn’t that, like, dangerous?”

“Awe, is Yeonjunie hyung worried about me?” the chaebol teases playfully, an lopsided grin taking over his face. 

"W-what? Pft- no, why would I- I don't even-" Yeonjun stutters, heels digging into the floor, face flushing, “P-pay attention to the road!”

“Your wish is my command,” Soobin relents purely for Yeonjun’s sake. They arrive at Lotte World in no time, merging into the long line wrapped around the outside of the park. Yeonjun relaxes a bit now that they’ve slowed down, leaning forward to peek out of the window. “Excited?”

“A little,” he admits, resisting the urge to press his nose against the glass in order to see better. “It's my first time coming here.”

“First?” Yeonjun nods. “Aren’t you from around here?”

Yeonjun tears his attention from the amusement park to find Soobin studying him, “Yeah, I am.”

“Then why haven’t you been before?”

Yeonjun shrugs, avoiding direct eye contact as he explains, “My mom couldn’t afford it. She was already working two jobs to put me through school and keep a roof over our heads. When I started working, my paychecks went straight to my savings for school so there wasn’t anything extra lying around for stuff like this.”

“Oh,” Soobin says and Yeonjun doesn’t look up to check his facial expression. 

“Yeah.”

The car is quiet as they enter the gated property and circle around the packed park for a good spot. "What kind of place doesn't have valet?" Soobin mutters to himself, and Yeonjun suppresses a giggle. 

They wind up parking a short distance from the entrance itself, sandwiched between minivans and old station wagons. The sight of the sports car turns a few heads and Yeonjun fiddles with his chain nervously as they get out. "Do you get looked at like this all the time?"

Soobin clicks the button on the door handle again, closing off the car and locking it, "Huh?" he turns and notices the passing families, "Oh, ha, yeah. It's a polite kind of stare so it doesn't bother me too much." He double checks that his mask is pulled up, running a hand through his messy waves, "You ready?"

They walk side by side, not close enough to brush hands or shoulders, but the potential is there and it has Yeonjun taking shallow breaths in preparation. The lines to enter the park are short for once, which is not a surprise considering the fact that it is a weekday so it doesn’t take long until they reach the ticket booth. Yeonjun steps up to the small box first, smiling politely at the young worker, “Hi, could I get one general admission adult ticket?” Yeonjun squints up at the sign, “Wait, does the student discount-“

“Can we get the fast pass package for 2 people, please?” Soobin appears at his side so suddenly that Yeonjun jumps in surprise.

“Do you want to upgrade to our deluxe package?”

“What’s the difference?”

“You can take the bands home.”

The chaebol shrugs, “Sure, why not? How much is that?”

“$115,” the worker replies disinterestedly, typing at the register.

Yeonjun’s eyes widen at the total, turning to Soobin in alarm, “I only bought enough for-“

“Okay,” Soobin digs into his back pocket, removing a shiny leather wallet and thumbing it open. He removes a black card and Yeonjun registers what’s about to happen. “Do you take card?”

“Yeah,” the worker then pushes a card reader underneath the glass partition. “I’ll be right back.”

As soon as the worker turns around to retrieve their wristbands, Yeonjun catches Soobin’s left hand before it can swipe. The contact sends little shockwaves up his arm and it takes all of his brain power not to gasp aloud.

How the _fuck_ is he going to make it all day if little touches make him feel like falling apart?

He realizes with one shallow breath that he simply won’t.

“What are you doing?” Soobin says after a moment passes, eyebrows furrowing to make the cutest little crease in the middle as he glances at Yeonjun.

Yeonjun hisses once he regains his composure, “I should be asking _you_ that question.”

“I _was_ in the middle of paying for our tickets.”

“I can pay for myself.” A rather bold faced lie considering that Yeonjun wasn't planning on spending more than $30 on his own ticket, which means he would only have $10 to eat with. But still. He theoretically _could_.

“I’m aware.” 

“So let me-

"No."

 _"Why not?"_ is what Yeonjun wants to ask but instead he says, "When he comes back, we can split it-"

"Yeonjun hyung."

Yeonjun blinks, startled by the sudden calling, "Yes?"

"I'm paying," Soobin uses his right hand to gently pull out of Yeonjun’s hold, sliding his card along the slot in the reader despite the noise of protest that follows the statement. He doesn’t let go even after he repockets his wallet. In fact he threads their fingers together, dwarfing Yeonjun’s hand in his palm, and asks the worker when they return with two bulky light up wristbands, “Do you have a map of the park?”

The teen bends down, retrieving a pamphlet, then pushes all the items underneath the glass partition, “Here you go.”

When Yeonjun doesn’t move to retrieve the items, Soobin grabs them with his free hand and gives a slight bow, “Thank you.” He leads them away from the booth and into the park entrance, their clasped hands just behind them. They stop at the closest empty bench where Soobin places down everything except one wristband. He unlinks their hands to affix the wristband properly, “Tell me if I put it too tight." His fingers brush across the delicate skin of Yeonjun’s wrist so gently that if he wasn't watching he would've thought it was the wind. 

He pulls the end of the band to tighten the plastic then waits patiently and Yeonjun realizes that it's his cue to speak, "T-that's good." He forces himself not to think about his stuttering, quickly offering, "I can do yours!" Yeonjun picks the other wristband up from the bench and lifts Soobin's arm up to attach the band. He can’t help noticing how soft Soobin’s skin is, how it takes both of Yeonjun’s hands to close around his wrist, how intimate this feels. "Is that too tight?"

"It's perfect."

Yeonjun lets his fingertips linger for another second before clearing his throat and grabbing the map, "Alright, let's see where we want to go first." He unfolds the map and feels himself getting giddy, "Wahh, there's so many things to do."

"Are you afraid of rollercoasters?" the question is given over the shell of Yeonjun’s ear and he involuntarily shudders, praying that Soobin doesn’t notice.

"N-no," Yeonjun swallows thickly, trying to gain control of his body again, "I love rollercoasters." He tilts his head in order to look at the chaebol, realizing that he is much closer than Yeonjun thought and the smell of spice and warmth is more than enough to spike his nerves, "Are you?"

"I'll ride anything unless it's a straight drop down," he points at a Superman theme drop ride. "Then I'll watch you enjoy yourself."

Yeonjuj makes note of all the drop rides, deciding that they aren't his favorite anyways, "Let's start with small stuff. Likeee," he surveys their options before pointing to the closet mini coaster, "This one."

Soobin nods in agreement then links their hands again and Yeonjun thinks he might wind up losing all brain functionality, "Lead the way, hyung."

Since the park isn't packed, locating the ride doesn't take very long. They join the line and Yeonjun expects Soobin to let go when they get a few disapproving looks from the parents ahead of them, but he doesn't. Butterflies turn into rampaging wasps in his stomach and he has to fight the dumb smile that threaten to surface. "So how's school?" the chaebol inquires, free hand shielding his eyes from the sun.

"Fine, I guess. Midterms are coming up soon and those are never fun, but it does mean I'm a step closer to graduation."

"You graduate this fall?" Soobin sounds surprised. 

Yeonjun nods, "Yeah, I came in with a semester of credit so I'm getting out early."

"Wow, so are you gonna be a zoologist then?"

"Ah, so you actually do listen." 

"I always listen when it comes to you."

"As you should," Yeonjun teases, ignoring how his heart backflips in his chest. "But, yeah, I'm in the process of interviewing at a family owned zoo in Muan. We have a date set for next week."

"What day?"

"Uh, Wednesday I think."

"When will you know if you've gotten the job?" 

"In about a month or so. I'll be really bummed if they say no since they have so many endangered species," the line starts to shift forward, "But I have a few other zoos to choose from before I start losing hope."

They make it into the next round of riders, obeying the workers commands to come forward and step into the carts. As they lower into the closet cart to them, Soobin remarks, "Well, I wish you plenty of luck. Whoever hires you should be grateful to have such a hard worker on their team."

Yeonjun busies himself fastening his seatbelt, cheeks heating up, "Oh, whatever. You have no clue-"

"Hyung, I've seen how hard you study even when it's not exam season. You really do care about your work," Soobin insists, worsening Yeonjun’s blush because why does hyung sound so private coming from his lips, "Taehyun-ssi also told me you've been volunteering at the animal sanctuary near campus since your freshman year. He said that you've been the reason behind so many successful rehabilitations. I know that you will do your job above and beyond their expectations."

Yeonjun is grateful when the worker reaches their cart, ordering, "Hands up." He tightens each of their seatbelts then pushes a bar over their lap and moves onto the next set of riders. 

Yeonjun waits for ten whole seconds before he attempts to speak, "... I'm not sure what to say," which is weird because Yeonjun always has a comment at the ready and yet, whenever Soobin is around, his brain turns to mush. 

"You don't have to say anything."

The deja vu is so surreal that Yeonjun can only stare down at the bar pressing against his lap. "Alright, everybody. If you're ready to ride then let me hear you scream," a voice crackles from an overhead speaker and a chorus of squeals erupts into the air. "I can't hear youuu!" This time Soobin nudges Yeonjun and he flashes a confused look his direction to see the chaebol point towards his mouth. The action completely disorients poor Yeonjun who, instead of joining in on the next chorus of yells, stares outright at Soobin’s mask, imagining his pretty pink lips moving beneath it, "That's more like it! Enjoy Space Mountain!"

The rollercoaster starts with a jerk that thankfully snaps Yeonjun out of his trance. He switches his attention to look straight ahead as they start to climb a small hill, cart making clinking noises with each track. When they round out at the top, he dares to peek at Soobin who's wide eyes sparkle excitedly as he takes in the sight of the park around them. The front row of carts begins to dip downward at the same moment that their eyes link and Yeonjun isn't sure who starts to fall first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay soooo this is gonna be a 2 part-chapter because I tried my best dear TanTan11 but I can’t do a 10k chapter 😭😭 I hope you enjoyed and please leave your thoughts below :’)) they really motivate me to write more!! thank you for all your support on yet too <33


	7. e

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is soobin's pov for the lovely reader who wanted to see what was going through his head. please enjoyyy!!

Soobin is good at picking up on signs. Hell, his whole life depends on it.

He knows when he needs to be quiet. He knows when he needs to speak up.

He knows when he needs to ask for help. He knows when asking for help is frowned upon.

He knows when to ask questions. He knows when to figure it out alone.

He knows when to stay in his place. He knows when to step out of line.

He knows which Soobin to show each person. He knows how not to mix them up.

But then he met Yeonjun.

And now he’s pretty sure he doesn't know shit. 

"Are you hungry?" Yeonjun asks, pulling Soobin out of his jumble of thoughts.

The chaebol sheepishly nods, glancing over at the older, "Only a little though. How’d you know?"

"You’ve been staring at every food poster we pass like you want to devour it."

Soobin laughs, a genuine one where he snorts and squeaks and would get a disapproving look from his father for doing so, but, for some reason, doesn't care, "Sorry about that, I didn't have breakfast this morning."

"We can stop and eat now. I think we’ve ridden everything that can move at least once anyways." 

Soobin was determined to let Yeonjun enjoy his first time at Lotte World to his heart's content, so he didn't turn down a single ride, even if his stomach was in knots and he was dreading the initial drop each time he got strapped in. It was always worth seeing Yeonjun smile wide enough to split his face in half or squeal Soobin’s name at the top of his lungs or cling onto his arm for dear life. In those moments, Soobin was glad that his mask covered up the stupid grin that pulled his lips thin and caused his eyes to disappear into half moons. 

“Are you craving anything?”

“Not really. But I just want something sweet.” - _like you-_ “Like dessert or something.” Soobin uses considerable self control to hold back the flirty comment, deciding to use it when he can properly enjoy the older’s reaction. “Did you want something specific?” 

“Nah, something sweet sounds good. Let’s go this way. The sign says there’s a food court near here.”

They pass a cluster of booths and buildings before Soobin gently squeezes Yeonjun’s hand, which is still enveloped in his own despite both of their palms sweating, and gestures in the direction of a sitting family, “That looks good. Do you know what it is?”

The older man scans the area until his gaze lands on the piled high plate of powdered sugar and something fried beneath it, “Oh, that’s funnel cake! I’ve always wanted to try it. They say it’s really good.”

“Let’s try it,” Soobin nods in agreement.

They start to scour the area for the place selling said cake, finding a small stall a few feet away where multiple workers are whizzing about, cranking out the fluffy fried dessert at crazy speeds. When they join the line, Yeonjun rises to his tip toes in an effort to read the menu ahead, but it must be too far for him to make out the words judging by the way his lips twist in frustration. Soobin starts to list off the options without any further prompting, smiling to himself when Yeonjun gapes up at him, “Okay, so they have a plain which looks like it comes with whipped cream and powdered sugar. Then a strawberry one, a Oreo one and then,” Soobin tilts his head forward to make out the last title, “the Texas Smash, which looks like it has ice cream and chocolate syrup on it.”

Yeonjun hums approvingly, “Are they all the same price?”

It’s an odd thing: Yeonjun and this incessant need to know the pricing of an item. It’s like he hears the price and then makes a decision rather than vice versa. It’s a new process of thinking that the chaebol hasn’t considered using before and he’s not very fond of it. “That’s not important,” Soobin replies, stepping forward as the next person is served, “The real question is which one sounds good to you?”

Yeonjun’s lips poke out into a pout and Soobin can’t help staring, “Soobin-”

“-Soobinie-”

Yeonjun rolls his eyes in a display of annoyance, but one corner of his mouth curves upward to contradict it, “The plain one is probably cheapest. I'm fine with that."

"Let’s say they're all the same price. Which one would you want then?"

The line moves again and this time they're next up. "The Texas Smash," Yeonjun says after a moment of contemplating. "But now I can see that it's $12 and the plain one is $7 so I'll get that one."

Soobin isn't one to care what people spend their money on as long as they're happy with their purchase. Beomgyu is a true testament to that. But Yeonjun is content with buying something that he doesn't really want because it's cheaper and it _really_ bothers Soobin. More than he thinks is rational.

When the worker calls for the next customer, they step in unison to the counter where Yeonjun pulls their linked hands behind his back while whispering to the chaebol, “I’ll take care of it.”

An endearing discovery Soobin made upon his first interaction with Yeonjun is that the older is easily flustered, especially if eyes are on him. Sadly, holding hands throughout the day has caused many eyes to be on them, some more judgemental than others. Although the stares don’t really phase Soobin after years of growing up in the public eye, he has been aware of the red flush that seemed to be semi-permanently on Yeonjun’s neck all day today. But, whenever Soobin loosened his hold enough for the older to leave, Yeonjun would merely readjust and tighten his own grip.

With any other guy, Soobin would take this as a sign of interest, a sign that the person actually wants him.

But, with Yeonjun, he isn't so sure.

"What can I get you two?"

“A pla-”

“Can we get a Texas Smash?” Soobin speaks up, flashing the worker his best eye smile.

The worker glances between them before asking, “One or two?”

“One is fine for now,” Soobin gently pulls Yeonjun backwards to prevent him from speaking again, biting back a chuckle when the older stumbles.

“Would you like to add anything else to your order?”

Soobin looks to his left to find Yeonjun already glaring up at him, “Do you want a drink?”

“A lemonade with lots of ice, please,” the older man tells the worker then narrows his eyes into a squint that has Soobin smirking beneath his mask as he whispers, “You better not do what I think you’re gonna do.”

The chaebol doesn’t reply, innocently nodding at the worker instead, “That’ll be all.”

“Okay, your total is $16.50.”

Soobin swiftly fishes his card out of his wallet and offers it to the man. By the time his card has been swiped, Yeonjun has barely even wiggled his wallet out of his back pocket. He waits until the worker hands back the black card and they move off to the side to wait for their order to smack Soobin’s shoulder, “You’re so- ugh! I’m. paying. for. the. next. thing.” he insists, punctuating his words with each playful blow, “I’m serious, stop smiling.”

“How can I when you’re looking at me like that?” Soobin catches the older man’s wrists in a gentle hold, fingers slipping up until their hands are interlocked, unable to get enough of the contact. “I don’t mind paying anyways.”

“That’s not the point! I can take care of myself,” Yeonjun breaks into his signature pout, whining in a way that has Soobin willing to risk it all- 

Wait a damn minute...

He is _the_ Choi Soobin.

Envy of the chaebol world.

Master of many talents and charms.

Korea’s favorite sweetheart.

Voted the most handsome man in Daegu for the past two years running.

There’s no way that this too-damn-attractive-for-his-own-good college senior with a smart mouth and kitten eyes has the ability to bring Choi Soobin to his knees by pouting alone. He is totally, completely, entirely, mostly, somewhat, a little in control. And he’ll fucking prove it. “Well, I like to take care of you. Especially since this is our practice first date,” Soobin pulls their linked hands towards his chest to close their distance, heart racing when Yeonjun willingly leans in. “Like I said, I really don’t mind. Your smile makes it worth it.”

“Ticket 180!” another worker calls out their order number and Soobin has to bite his tongue to keep from groaning aloud at the interruption. “Ticket 180, your order is up!”

Soobin can’t tell if it's the makeup or a natural blush that colors Yeonjun’s cheeks for the tenth time today when they step away from each other to collect their food. He avoids Soobin’s gaze as they back up from the counter with full hands, “S-see any free seats?”

Soobin surveys the small food court, spotting an array of empty tables nearby, “Over here.” He leads them to the furthest table, choosing to sit with his back to the other park goers in order to give them some privacy. He is only slightly (extremely) disappointed when the older sits across from him.

Yeonjun passes the chaebol a fork after Soobin sets the plate down between them, “It looks really good.”

“Not as good as you.”

“Oh my _God_ , do you have no shame?”

“None at all,” Soobin smirks happily then whips out his phone. "Do you might if I take a picture? I usually post whatever I'm eating."

Yeonjun blinks for a moment then nods, "Yeah, um, go for it."

Soobin tilts the plate just right then takes a picture, scrolling through Snapchat filters until he finds a cute Lotte World sticker. He then types up a short and sweet caption, posting it, "Okay, I'm all good now." As soon as he's given the green light, Yeonjun stabs into their shared dessert, pulling off a piece and stuffing his cheeks. “How is it?” The older gives a thumbs up, already digging back into it for another forkful, and this time Soobin joins him. When he tugs his mask down to his chin to take his first bite, he feels Yeonjun’s eyes on his lips and has to fight a smirk. He hums contently, knowing that Hoseok will scold him for eating so carelessly later, "Most people think my sweet tooth is really bad, but I think I've met my match." 

"I didn't know you had a sweet tooth."

"Ah, it's like my kryptonite. I can never turn down dessert; Kai said you're the same."

“Y’know, sometimes I feel like you know more about me than I do about you,” Yeonjun comments, scooping into the melting ice cream for his next bite.

“Really?" Soobin helps hold the plate still so that the older male can get his piece, “I guess I’m just used to people knowing about me so I ask more about them than talk about myself.” It's a social technique his dad taught him in order to build up such a loyal fan base and stay on the public's good side for so long. He doesn't think he's ever tried interacting with other people without using it.

"Why’s that?"

"Well, a lot of my life is broadcasted on social media."

"So, literally the exact opposite of Kai," Yeonjun laughs with a small smile, "I have to remind him to post at least one thing a week so that his fans don't think he's dead."

Kai has always been terrible at keeping an updated platform. When they were younger and building fan bases, Soobin was sure that Kai would lose popularity and ruin his chance at staying relevant outside of his CEO status because of it. But, early on, he expressed sincerity about wanting to keep his private life to himself and his fans respected that. Sadly, Soobin didn’t follow the same model, taking the route of most idols and stars by sharing nearly everything with the public.

Soobin realizes he should reply after a quiet moment ensues, "So you're the one to thank for his occasional tweets. You’re doing the Lord's work." 

"For free too!”

Soobin chuckles, tearing off another bite, “What about you though? Do you have any social media?"

“Eh, I don’t really use it much. I think the last time I posted was, um, maybe a year ago? Yeah, a year ago.”

“Is there a reason?” Soobin wonders, thinking about how he found Yeonjun’s social media after bribing Kai with dinner only to learn that it hadn’t been updated since his junior year of college. He almost strangled his dongsaeng that night.

“Not really, I kinda just forget about it until something big happens," the college student shrugs dismissively, “So, tell me something about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?”

Since there's very little of their shared dessert left, Yeonjun starts to tear the funnel cake apart, creating easy to grab pieces for the both of them. The action has Soobin feeling oddly warm and cared for. “Mm..." Yeonjun thinks for a moment, "what is your job like?”

“It’s kind of fun. I basically walk the streets to find buskers and performers that look promising. I get their contact information and give it to the recruiters. It’s what my dad did when he was first forming Big Hit so it’s kind of expected of me. But, more recently, I’m into the idea of being an MC. I actually started the audition process last week.” 

“Have you ever MCed before?” 

Soobin finishes off the last scoop of ice cream, cleaning his side of the plate, “No, this will be my first time.”

“Are you nervous?”

Soobin considers the question, watching Yeonjun ruin his previous hairstyle with his habit of running a hand through his hair for the fifth time today. “For the audition? Not really, I’m more prepared than most. For the full time position?” Yeonjun's hair was cutely styled before, but now his bangs lay flat on his forehead, yellow tips brushing the tops of his stark eyebrows and making his feline eyes all the more prominent. Soobin admires him for some time before replying, “Somewhat. People have a lot of expectations for MCs. I just hope I can meet them.” 

“I know you’ll do well. The public loves you already. Just be yourself.” Soobin has heard similar sentiments before but, for some reason, it means so much more coming from Yeonjun’s lips. Speaking of lips, his peach colored lip tint is finally starting to fade, revealing his natural pink color beneath, and Soobin doesn’t have the decency not to stare. The older licks his lips, pauses, then does it again, “Yah! Are you-”

“-Yes I am,” Soobin breathes, answering the unfinished question with blatant honesty. “If I told you had something on your lip,” he lifts slightly from his seated position, arm crossing the table, “and I got close enough to get it for you,” his hand gently cups Yeonjun’s jaw, guiding his head to tip upwards just enough for their eyes to link completely level. He leaves about six inches of space between their lips, allowing the other to move away should he want to, “would you let me?”

There’s a beat.

Then Yeonjun’s eyes narrow and his mouth shifts into a cocky smirk. He surges forward suddenly and Soobin’s heart flies into his throat like a goddamn grade schooler. He has to force himself not to meet the college boy’s advances, inhaling sharply when he stops three inches short of Soobin’s lips. “You’re cute,” Yeonjun is so close that they’re exchanging air at this point and Soobin's eyes flutter shut in preparation, “but I don’t kiss on the first date.” The chaebol opens his eyes just in time to watch Yeonjun lower back into his seat, removing his face from Soobin's hold. He watches the older eat the last bite as if nothing took place seconds before. After the plate is wiped clean, Yeonjun gulps down his lemonade, meeting Soobin's gaze with an innocent blink, "Close your mouth or you'll catch flies, sweetie."

Soobin laughs then, a high pitched one that reeks of disbelief and shock, "I... I didn't expect that. You definitely got me this time."

"You say this time like there will be another."

"There will."

Yeonjun cocks an eyebrow, finishing off his drink with another long sip, "What makes you so sure?"

"You said first date. Which implies there will be more. And I am more than glad to see how many tries it takes until you give in to those urges," Soobin revels in the way that Yeonjun’s eartips go bright red. He moves out of his seat, gesturing to their empty plate, "All done?"

“I- ugh, yeah, I-I’m done,” the older man huffs, looking everywhere except at the chaebol, as he slides off of the bench.

He starts to gather their combined trash and Soobin is quick to grab his wrist, “Whoa, what are you doing?”

Yeonjun looks up, eyebrows knitted together, “Throwing away our trash.”

“But that’s the workers’ job.”

Yeonjun pauses, blinks a few times, “Which is why I’m doing the bare minimum and picking up our plate.”

“But why are you doing that when someone gets paid to literally clean up after you?”

“Because they not only have to pick up my trash, but everyone else’s too,” the older man goes back to stacking up their utensils, “So why make their jobs harder?”

“That’s their job though. They get paid to do that.”

“I get paid to sell and fold clothes on the weekends,” Yeonjun replies over his shoulder, moving towards the trash bin near their table, “That doesn’t mean that I enjoy the work. When customers don’t ruin the displays by unfolding every single pair of pants they touch, I appreciate it because then I don’t have to do extra unnecessary work. So I clean up after myself, even if I see a custodian nearby; it’s just the right thing to do.” 

Soobin frowns slightly, realizing he has never thought of it like that. Since birth he was taught to eat and leave his dishes behind purely because there was always someone there to clean them. Even now he has a maid come clean his apartment once a day. It hadn’t occurred to him that he would be making their job more difficult by adding extra work that they hadn’t planned for. He reflects on the amount of times he’s gone out with Beomgyu and they’ve left their trash at the table with the impression that that’s what everyone was supposed to do. 

Soobin watches Yeonjun dump their items in the trash can while an uncomfortable feeling starts clawing at his subconscious for the very first time. It’s subtle, something he can push away if he wants, but he can’t put his finger on it. He just knows it’s not fun, not good, and therefore would like to avoid it at all costs. He readjusts his mask over his nose, unsure of what to say to the older man with this weird feeling settling on his chest.

Neither of them speak when they start to walk again, this time with no destination in mind. Soobin decides to not wound his pride by trying to hold Yeonjun’s hand after the weird energy floating between them, instead opting to survey all of the tents and rides they pass on their stroll. 

“Come on! We need two people to get this game started! Just two players!” a woman shouts loud and fast, voice amplified through a speaker. When Soobin glances her direction, he notices that she’s advertising a simple water gun game where the player aims for the bullseye and tries to get their pole to light up at the top first. It is surrounded by so many plushies that even the worker holds one on her hip while yelling into the mic, “Hey, you two! Wanna play? We have prizes of all sizes!”

Yeonjun is quick to politely shake his head, “No thanks-”

“It’s only $7 per game! C’monnnn, that’s $14 for both of you! The winner gets to pick one of these,” she gestures to a row of smaller stuffed animals hanging over her head, “But if you win three games, then you can trade your smaller prizes for a bigger one instead,” she points to the massive stuffed animals on the sides, “What do you say?”

Soobin glances at Yeonjun who seems to be fixated on a rabbit plushie with a carrot halfway in its mouth. He can tell by the order’s pause that he is actually interested in playing. “Sure,” Soobin answers the woman back, approaching the tent in a few strides. He takes a seat at the short counter then looks over his shoulder to find Yeonjun only steps behind, still staring at the rabbit plushie hanging on the side of the display. “You said three games for the big one, right?”

The woman nods enthusiastically, clicking some buttons that make the poles light up in the pattern of rainbows, “Yep. Win three consecutive rounds and you can pick any of them.”

“But it’s $14 each game,” Yeonjun turns to Soobin, lips twisted into a pout, “That means it’d be $21 from each of us just for a chance at winning. Are you sure you want to play?”

Soobin responds with a question of his own, “Do you want that plushie?” 

“Yes, but-“

“Then let’s play.” Another competition ensues on who can get their money out faster when the woman asks for payment. Much to Soobin’s dismay, Yeonjun wins this time by grabbing Soobin’s hand before he can reach the counter. “You cheated!”

“It’s not called cheating. It’s called doing what has to be done.”

Soobin huffs at the older man, giving the worker a kind eye smile, “Can you charge the first game on his card and the other two on mine?” He makes sure to catch Yeonjun’s hand this time around, easily handing off his card. She charges them while Yeonjun mutters something about Soobin being the most stubborn person he’s ever met. 

Once she’s returned their cards, she explains the game, “Alright so aim for the bullseye and pull the trigger. Whoever can get the entire pole to light up first wins. Any questions?” Neither speak up. “Alright, let's get this started!”

“Get ready to go home crying,” Yeonjun makes a show of preparing by cracking his knuckles and stretching his back.

Soobin can’t help teasing, “I’ll tell Kai to go gentle on you when you get home; you seem like a sore loser.”

“Ready,” they sit up straighter, “Set,” they grip their respective water guns, “Go!”

Soobin squints, aiming his stream of water directly at the bullseye, thumb pressing hard on the trigger, but then suddenly a hand shoves his gun to the side and he yelps in surprise. Yeonjun cackles, thoroughly amused by his sabotage, and the worker gives the play by play into the mic, “It looks like player one is out of commission. It will be tough to come back from such a detrimental loss.” 

Soobin gapes at the woman, “What!? You’re just going to allow him to cheat like that?”

“I told you,” Yeonjun sing-songs, two rings of light away from the top of his pole, “It’s not called cheating.”

Soobin doesn’t even bother to continue trying, rolling his eyes when the loud alarm rings declaring Yeonjun’s victory, “A rematch. A fair one this time.”

“Sure, sure.”

“Where we keep our hands to ourselves.”

“Right, of course.”

“... You’re going to cheat again, aren’t you?”

Yeonjun wins all three rounds, partially because Soobin enjoys the way that Yeonjun does a little wiggle of celebration each time and partially because Soobin can’t muster up his usual competitiveness with Yeonjun as his opponent. “Alright, which one will it be?” the worker splays her hands at the display.

Yeonjun wastes no time, pointing directly at the same rabbit he had been eyeing since they sat down, “That one.”

She pulls down the stuffed animal and hands it to him over the counter, “Congratulations! Have a nice day!”

Soobin stifles a laugh when he realizes that the plushie is nearly the same size as his date. “It’s cute,” he comments, helping Yeonjun hold the item off the ground as they rise to their feet.

“He reminds me of you.”

“Huh?”

“Y’know, the whole rabbit thing,” Yeonjun doesn’t meet Soobin’s confused gaze, “Like that time you posed with that carrot.”

Soobin definitely does not feel flustered or slightly shy due to the fact that Yeonjun has seen him do aegyo, “You got it because it reminded you of me?”

Yeonjun blushes, this time Soobin is sure because his shoulders start to raise a little in defense, “N-no, it was just-”

“Yeonjun?” Both of the men look up, eyes searching for the source when they hear the senior’s name called yet again, “Yeonjun, is that you?”

Yeonjun fully turns towards the direction of the voice, his prize clutched tightly in his hands as he murmurs, “Holy shit. It’s him.”

“Oh, it is you!” A man with a clean undercut and spiked black hair exclaims, abandoning his group to close their distance.

Soobin tilts his head, observing the unfamiliar male, “Who?”

Yeonjun seems embarrassed as he whispers, “My ex. I didn’t think- We haven’t seen each other since- well, it’s a long story and-”

“I knew you looked familiar!” his ex shouts again, like a lunatic, pushing through the crowd to approach them.

“-Sorry, I’ll try to get rid of him as fast as I can,” he apologizes quietly to Soobin before slightly raising his voice to greet the man, "Hey. Minho. What are you here for?"

His ex stops about two feet back, obviously checking him out, and Soobin feels something hot building in the pit of his stomach, "My little sisters and her friends wanted to come out."

“Ah...” Yeonjun nods, ear tips bright red as one hand comes up to rake through his hair. Soobin doesn’t need to see his expression to know he’s nervous. “That’s nice.”

“I almost didn’t recognize you, y’know?” Minho doesn’t seem to notice Yeonjun’s discomfort, or maybe doesn't care to. Soobin feels strangely angered by this. “It’s not like you to dye your hair.”

Yeonjun gives a polite laugh, so fake that it hurts Soobin’s ears to hear it, “Yeah, just wanted to try something new.”

“Well, it looks good- better yet, you look good.”

Soobin doesn’t miss the way Yeonjun hesitates, “Thanks... Well, I’m sure your sister needs you-“

“So, why are you here? You don’t usually go out to places like this.”

As he watches Yeonjun readjust his hold of the plushie in his arms, Soobin thinks back to his most recent conversation with Kai, one that took place a few days before this date.

“What do you want him for anyway?”

“... What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

Soobin concentrated on snagging a mystery block, disgusted by the banana that hangs on the back of his cart, before admitting, “I don’t know. Company, a warm body, nice conversation.”

“So a fuck buddy?” It’s blunt, but Kai had never been the most eloquent speaker. “Not a boyfriend?”

Soobin’s lips twisted into a pout, “I just don’t know if I’m ready for all of... _that_ right now.”

“Well, you might as well move on. He’s not into hook ups.” Kai’s Mii did a victorious jump as he crossed the finish line in first place.

“He’s into me though.”

“That doesn’t mean he’ll want the same thing as you.”

“We’ll have to see then,” Soobin crossed the finish line, coming in 6th place, and shot Kai his most innocent smile, “won’t we?”

Soobin steps forward to wrap his arm around Yeonjun’s shoulders, pulling the older into his chest protectively, “He’s with me. Names Soobin by the way.” He offers his other hand for a shake, watching Minho’s eyes drift to his arm and back to his face.

“Minho. I’m sure you knew that already though.” He doesn’t accept Soobin’s handshake.

Soobin pulls his hand back in without missing a beat, tucking it in his pocket nonchalantly, “Doesn’t ring a bell actually. I’m assuming you two went to school together or something. But nice to meet you.” The shock on Minho’s face is almost comical, eyes widening as they shift back to Yeonjun. Soobin can see the questions in them so he decides to wrap up the conversation immediately, “Well, enjoy the rest of your time at the park, Minho-ssi. Ready to go, hyung?”

Yeonjun seems to come alive at the invitation, "Y-yeah. Um, I'll see you around, Minho." Soobin doesn't even wait for Minho's reply before guiding them towards the front gate of the park. They make it all the way to the car before Yeonjun shyly mumbles, “I- We haven’t seen each other in over a year. I... I didn’t think he’d ever speak to me again.”

Soobin unlocks the door with a click, gently taking the stuffed animal from Yeonjun’s grasp so he can get in, “Seems like a dick.”

“Yeah... That’s usually the type of guy I attract,” he lowers into the passenger seat, letting out this sad laugh that makes Soobin furrow his brow, “I hope I didn’t ruin our date- day,” he clears his throat, flushing at his own slip up while tugging at the plushie. “I can-“

“Hyung,” Soobin leans down to make eye contact, catching Yeonjun mid sentence, “You deserve better.”

“What?” Yeonjun squeaks, grip tightening on the arm of the stuffed rabbit.

“You deserve better. Promise me you won’t settle for an asshole again.”

“... Soobin-“

“Promise me.” It’s not aggressive, but his tone is demanding enough for Yeonjun to realize that he is serious.

It takes a few seconds of unfaltering eye contact before the older whispers back, “I promise.”

“That?”

“... That I won’t settle for an asshole.”

Soobin straightens up, placing the plushie onto Yeonjun’s lap with a satisfied hum, “Good. Let’s go.”

When the doors close them in, Soobin pulls out of his parking space, glancing at how cute Yeonjun is when he tries to hide his embarrassment, and wonders to himself.

_Even if that asshole is me?_


	8. o

Yeonjun gnaws on his lip anxiously, "I mean, was I too forward?"

"You literally just wished him luck and he said thanks," Taehyun deadpans, munching on a bag of chips he stole from the kitchen.

Yeonjun flips onto his back, phone clutched tightly over his face, "But it's been three days since we texted now."

Three days that Yeonjun spent agonizing over the same blue text bubbles, three days where Yeonjun checked his phone every five minutes for a reply, three days with Yeonjun waiting for Soobin to burst into their apartment with take out and a cocky smirk, three days of disappointment.

Taehyun shrugs, "Maybe he's busy?"

"He’s always on his phone though,” Yeonjun nearly adds that the chaebol has been consistently tweeting and interacting with fans, but instead blames it on his roommate, “At least that’s what Kai told me.”

"Maybe he doesn’t know what to say?"

Yeonjun pouts at his last sent message, "Even if he doesn't know what to say, he could tell me an update or something."

Taehyun sighs, finally looking up from his homework to give Yeonjun much needed attention, “Read it to me. From the top.”

**choi s***** 🚨**

**hey  
** **soobin?  
** **it’s me  
** **sorry, that literally doesn’t explain anything  
** **this is yeonjun  
** _Read 10:47 pm_

“Wait, you quintuple texted this man on the first day that you got his number?”

“I mean,” Yeonjun rushes to explain, second guessing his decision to get perspective from his asshole of a coworker, “I just- it’s not like I was _flirting_ or anything! I was trying to make sure Kai gave me the right number!"

"Yeah, of courseee," Taehyun agrees in a tone that suggests he doesn't actually believe Yeonjun and the older flings a pillow from his bed at the younger. He easily catches the item with a cackle, "C'mon, keep reading."

**choi s***** 🚨**

**Yeonjun hyung texted me first? 😯  
** **I must be dreaming  
** _Read 10:48 pm_

 **haha  
** **very funny 🙄  
** **i didn't know you were a comedian in your free time  
** _Read 10:48 pm_

 **So glad you noticed  
** **It isn't the best paying job but I still have fun 🤭  
** _Read 10:48 pm_

 **why did i think this would be a good idea?  
** **y'know i had to wash the dishes for your #  
** **starting to think it wasn't worth it...  
** _Read 10:49 pm_

 **No, no  
** **Thank you for texting me  
** **It made my night  
** **I feel like I can sleep well tonight because of you  
** _Read 10:50 pm_

 **um  
** _Read 10:55 pm_

 **right  
** **anyways  
** _Read 11:01 pm_

“You said anyways?” Taehyun echoes in confusion, “Why the hell would you say anyways? And why did that reply take ten whole ass minutes?”

“I was panicking!" Yeonjun is quick to defend his lackluster text, "How would you respond if some attractive guy said that to you?!”

“‘You’re welcome. Let me know if I was in your dreams tomorrow,’” Taehyun says as if it was second nature. 

Yeonjun gapes at his friend, “Are you _insane_? What the hell- that’s so, so- like what does that even do?”

“It shows that you’re actually interested in him,” Taehyun tosses the pillow back at Yeonjun, almost knocking him in the head, “‘mthin’ you clearly have not done on your own.”

“Maybe if you would let me finish,” Yeonjun bristles at being blatantly called out for his terrible flirting, dodging the flying object just in time, “then you would know.”

“All ears.”

**choi s***** 🚨**

**i wanted to wish you luck** **on your trial run tmrw  
** **i know you said you weren’t nervous  
** **but still  
** _Read 11:02 pm_

 **You remembered?  
** _Read 11:02 pm_

 **yeah  
** **you remembered my interview so  
** **it's only right i remembered your stuff too  
** _Read 11:02 pm_

 **Thank you hyung  
** **I will make you proud tomorrow  
** _Read 11:10 pm_

 **promise?  
** _Read 11:15 pm_

 **I promise :)  
** _Read 11:15 pm_

 **good  
** **well, have a good night  
** **don't stay up too late  
** _Read 11:16 pm_

 **You too hyung  
** _Read 11:16 pm_

Taehyun's brow furrows as he dumps the rest of his chips into his mouth, "Why 'id 'chu make 'im promise?"

"It's just a thing," Yeonjun tints pink, lip catching between his teeth to fight a smile, "Don't worry about it. Besides that, is there anything weird about what I said?"

Taehyun shakes his head, crumbling the chip bag into a ball and shooting for the trashcan, "Not that I could tell. Maybe he didn’t get the job and is embarrassed about it." Yeonjun is pretty sure that the chaebol got the job. How could he not? “Don’t stress over it too much.”

"Too late," Yeonjun mumbles, rolling onto his stomach, eyes still scanning his screen hopelessly.

Taehyun says absently as he returns to his work, "For someone you’re ‘definitely not interested in’, you seem to be pretty upset, hyung."

“I’m not upset.” Taehyun makes this throaty noise that expresses his disagreement. “I'm not! I’m just,” Yeonjun lets his face drop into his sheets, groaning, “I don’t know what I am anymore.”

It’s been two weeks since their friendly hangout that may or may not have been a date and Yeonjun hasn’t been able to have a single thought that didn’t revolve around stupid Choi Soobin. Which is fucking embarrassing because he’s a college senior, not a kindergartner. He can't help it though, life just keeps bringing the chaebol up in different ways.

For example, this week in his Principles of Zoology lecture some girl in his class had Soobin as her screen saver. It was a picture Yeonjun hadn't seen before, where the younger’s hair was swept back and he had on a tuxedo and this intense stare. Yeonjun didn't realize that he was glaring at the screen until the girl awkwardly flipped her phone over and focused back on the lecture. 

Last week, Kai had found old photos of the two from middle school in his iCloud and proceeded to randomly AirDrop them to Yeonjun while he was watching YouTube on his phone. He tried to feign indifference to the first few, but one picture in particular had Soobin smiling so hard with only his front teeth on display while holding a dog tightly in his arms. It caught Yeonjun completely off guard and he audibly 'awww'd at it. Kai launched into a long rant, demanding to know why Yeonjun didn't 'aw' at any of _his_ pictures and Yeonjun wanted to blend into the couch.

Yeonjun has been asking the forces of the universe why they must torture him so much lately that he feels like he might be going a tad bit insane. "Why me?" he whines even now, body writhing like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

“There’s nothing wrong with being attracted to him, hyung," Taehyun tries to sound soothing, but it only further agitates Yeonjun's state of embarrassment. "He’s ranked in the top 10 faces of Korea. Of course you think he’s handsome.”

“There’s a difference between thinking someone is attractive and being attracted to someone,” Yeonjun’s words are muffled by his comforter. 

"So you _are_ attracted to him?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

“Because he’s famous.”

“So is Kai.”

“That's a gross comparison!"

“How?”

Yeonjun abruptly rises to his elbows to pout at the younger, “Because he’s like a little brother to me!"

“That doesn’t make him not famous,” Taehyun shoots back, scribbling something in the margins of his book. “I’m not understanding why you can’t be attracted to Soob-“

Yeonjun groans even louder than before, “Don’t you dare say that name!”

“Sometimes I think I’m the hyung in this relationship.”

“Shut up, I’m moping,” Yeonjun dramatically collapses onto his face again, “I can’t believe I fell for a fucking chaebol! Where was the warning sign?!"

“I’m pretty sure it was a done deal the first time he blinked your direction.”

There's knocking at the front door and Yeonjun muffles into his comforter, "Did you invite Ryujin?"

Taehyun shakes his head, eyebrows raised in surprise, "Maybe Kai forgot his keys?"

Yeonjun checks his phone to see if his roommate texted him, but comes up blank. He rolls out of bed, shouting, "Coming!" He leaves his room, bypassing the living room, "Did you lose your keys again?" He unlocks the door once he reaches it, "I told you that if you did it again, I would-"

"Punish me?" 

Yeonjun grips the door handle tight enough to snap it off, "... Minho?"

Minho smiles charmingly, head tilting, "Yeonjun." His gaze ticks down in a slow, calculating assessment, "Nice outfit."

The comment makes Yeonjun look at his own outfit to see that it is his usual athleisure get up: Adias track pants and a simple shirt. "Um... Thanks," Yeonjun manages to speak around the block in his mouth.

It's weird. One would think that after being demeaned and belittled by their ex that said ex would be done with them forever. 

And yet here Minho is, in his soccer uniform, hair damp with sweat. He leans on the door frame with one hand, smirking, "I guess some things don't change. You used to stay home on Tuesdays back then too." Yeonjun stares unblinking for a few seconds, mouth going dry. "Mind if I come in?"

 _Yes._ "Um," Yeonjun tries to remember how to assertive, how he's not the same push over from a year ago, "I-I don't think that's a good idea."

Minho merely tilts his head, feigning this look of disappointment that makes Yeonjun feel sick, "Seriously? It'll only be for, like, five minutes."

Five minutes is too long. Much too long for Yeonjun who feels threatened and stifled and so self conscious that he wants to slam the door shut and race back into his room to bury himself beneath his sheets.

But then Yeonjun realizes that going back to his room means getting Taehyun involved. And he'd like to avoid _that_ at all costs for Minho's safety.

"Minho, why are you here?" Yeonjun watches the way his ex subtly steps forward and reflexively steps back to put distance between them. 

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I would stop by," Minho steps again, forcing Yeonjun further into the entryway in order to cross the threshold. "Can't I be friendly?"

"Sure, but... We're not friends anymore. We... We haven't talked since we broke up and you showing up randomly is-" Yeonjun struggles to find the words, "I don't know, it's- it’s weird."

"Who said we weren't friends?"

"You did.”

“Really? When?”

”When you broke up with me."

Minho shrugs dismissively, "That was a high tension moment. We both said things we didn't mean."

"I'm pretty sure you meant it."

"We both said hurtful things."

"You told me that I was the worst boyfriend you ever had," Yeonjun replies defiantly, bitterness nearly palpable in his tone, "That I couldn't even drag my own weight in our relationship. But in reality, I carried more than enough of my weight when we were together."

"Well, you told me that I was an impulsive piece of shit that couldn't stay in one place," Minho fires back, sending an angry flush up Yeonjun’s neck, "And I definitely stayed by your side even when I wanted to go out."

"I didn't say it like that!"

"But you sure as hell meant it!"

Yeonjun has to bite his tongue to keep from raising his voice, "... I just wanted to stay home that night."

"And I just wanted you to come support me... Like I said, it was a high tension argument. We both said things we shouldn’t have."

Yeonjun doesn't want to give Minho the power in this situation, but he can feel his emotions getting out of hand, too many unresolved questions bubbling up in his chest. He whispers persistently, "You still said it. You believed it."

"I was upset, Yeonjun."

"So was I, Minho. That didn't give you the right to say any of those things."

Minho sighs heavily, gaze flickering from the floor back to Yeonjun's watery eyes, "Look... I’m sorry. My emotions got the better of me and I said a lot of things I regret." Yeonjun isn't sure if something inside of him cracks or heals at the admission. "You were a great boyfriend. It wasn't right for me to invalidate all of the things you did just because of one stupid event."

Yeonjun bites his inner cheek, mumbling quietly when a long period of silence hovers between them, "... It wasn't stupid. I knew how important your soccer tournaments were to you... I’m sorry that I didn't try to be more flexible. It was a big deal for you and I was too stubborn to acknowledge it." It feels therapeutic almost, to finally admit to his own flaws in their failed relationship. It's like a weight he hadn't known existed was finally lifted off of his shoulders now.

Minho cracks a charming smile, "I guess we both were talking out of our asses."

"Yeah," Yeonjun gives a small chuckle, "I guess so... Thanks for apologizing."

"Thanks for hearing me out." They stand there in a comfortable silence that makes Yeonjun think that maybe this was a good interaction after all. But then Minho says, "Things are different now. I know you feel it too."

"Feel what?"

"I don't know what to call it," his ex steps in yet again and, for some reason, Yeonjun’s feet are too heavy to lift, "It's just something between us."

Yeonjun shakes his head at the proximity and his words, "N-no. There's not. We've had our moment already. There's nothing here anymore."

Minho's brows knits together, "You're telling me you didn't feel what I felt at Lotte World?"

_Embarrassment? Discomfort? Cluelessness? All the things he feels right now?_

Minho must mistaken his silence for consideration, daring to step forward another time. The toe of his cleats almost touch Yeonjun’s socks. "C'mon, Yeonjunie, I know you better than you know yourself. I know you felt-"

"N-no."

"You're stuttering." There's a ding from the hallway, the sound of the elevator arriving to his floor, as Minho starts to frown, eyes narrowing, "You only stutter when you're lying."

_Is that true?_

Yeonjun finds himself thinking hard, thinking about too many factors of this conversation. He tries to work his jumble of a brain into uttering a reply, "I didn't f-feel anything, Minho. I'm sorry but-"

"It's him, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

"It's that guy you were with, isn't it?" Minho tightens his grip on the strap of his backpack, "He's been talking about me, hasn't he?"

"S-soobin? What? No."

“Soobin?" he say the name like it's poisonous and it makes anger bubble somewhere subconsciously in Yeonjun. "Whatever, I bet he talked shit about me or something.” Yeonjun shifts, an arm wrapping across his stomach to grip his elbow subconsciously at the mention of the chaebol. “You know, he doesn’t like having me around only because I’m competition.”

Yeonjun scoffs, eyes rolling out of shock at his ex's audacity, “No, he can just see that you’re a dick.”

“And he’s thinking with his.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? You don't even know him!"

"Yeonjun, I know what a fuckboy looks like. That guy just wants to get in your pants."

"You met him for literally less than five minutes-"

"But I know what the signs are, trust me. Look, just listen and tell me if this sounds familiar: he flirts with you, but doesn't say outright what it is he likes about you." That's normal, isn't it? Yeonjun doesn't say what he likes about the younger either. That's what people do when there's nothing serious involved; it's not like Yeonjun actually thinks he has a chance at dating a chaebol to begin with. "He wants a reason to touch you at all times and, when he does get it, he can't keep his hands off." The first time they touched constantly was at Lotte World. Yeonjun would be lying if he said the contact was anything other than addictive. Soobin’s hands were big and soft and the chaebol was so gentle whenever he would guide Yeonjun somewhere that, sometimes, Yeonjun would walk even slower just to be pulled along. "He probably buys you things and pretends to be interested and care about what you say." Somewhere in the hall, the steady sound of footsteps keep Yeonjun from spiraling into overanalysis mode, anxiety loosening its hold momentarily to remind him that he's talking to his ex, not someone of any credibility. "He's even told you that he's 'not like other guys.'"

A shadow appears in the doorway, "No, but that would be good for me to clarify." Yeonjun’s heart turns into a professional acrobatic at the sight of the chaebol with a firmly set scowl. His hair is unstyled for once, bangs sitting flat on his forehead, black mask concealing the lower half of his face. He doesn't seem to have on any makeup either, another first for Yeonjun to see, and he doesn't have time to properly appreciate it. The younger coolly says in the tone he uses when reporters ask questions that they clearly shouldn't have, "I believe he told you that he didn't feel anything. If you're not the massive douchebag I think you are, then you would respect that."

"That would be so convenient for you, wouldn't it?" Minho snaps, disgust and frustration written into his features. 

Soobin glares so fiercely at the back of Minho's skull that Yeonjun is surprised he doesn't burst into flames, "Hyung."

Yeonjun startles at the affectionate calling, "H-huh?"

"Do you want him to leave?" The question is clipped and concise, laced in a kind tone just for Yeonjun, but ice cold regarding Minho's presence.

Yeonjun has to keep his eyes out of Minho's range when he clears his throat, "... Yeah... I do."

"Well, Minho-ssi, let's not make this more difficult than it has to be."

Minho is almost fuming at this point, but he pushes aside his anger to say to Yeonjun, "My number is still the same. Text me whenever you're done letting this fuckboy play with your heart." With that he abruptly turns, not even bothering to look up as he purposefully slams his shoulder into Soobin in his hasty exit.

The chaebol watches Yeonjun’s ex stalk down the hall until the elevator door closes with a ding. "I know that wasn't my place to get involved," Soobin faces Yeonjun after they're alone. His eyes somehow look bigger without the usual dusting of brown shadow and glitter, innocently peering at Yeonjun with such concern that the older contemplates hiding under his covers again. "I hope I didn't cross a line."

Yeonjun lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, shaking his head, "I-it's fine." He has to look down to finish, "Thank you. I was struggling on my own."

"Is it alright if I come inside?"

"Yeah, yeah! Um, yeah," Yeonjun studies Soobin’s sneakers as he steps into the apartment, "How are you by the way?" _You haven't texted me in three days._ "Just wondering."

"I'm alright. I have some good news, but I wanted to share it in person," the chaebol explains, "I'm sorry about-"

Yeonjun immediately shifts his gaze upwards when Soobin stops speaking. The older twists to follow his line of sight and his stomach does a flip, "... I... Um... They were really pretty so I wanted to keep them on display," he explains unnecessarily while gesturing at the wide mouth vase filled with a handful of red roses on the table, a blush threatening to peek through his cheeks. "Thank you for sending them by the way. It was very unexpected."

Last week he came home in a slump, exhausted from a day of classes and his intensive interview. His takeout was thankfully delivered by the time that he arrived, but there was another box standing up with his name and address written across the top beside it. The tape wrapped around the box said fragile so Yeonjun tentatively picked up the mystery box and his take out bag before entering the apartment. He dumps everything on the kitchen counter, turning to the fridge to grab a soda and trying to remember if he had ordered something online this past week but nothing comes to mind.

He ripped open his takeout bag and took a bite of his wings, munching happily, as he cut open the tall box to find a small bouquet of bright red roses. Attached to the stem of one was an embossed card that had Soobin's signature alongside a hand drawn heart and the words ' _hope these help distract you from your work a bit_.' It would be an understatement to say that the roses made Yeonjun's night. He found himself re-reading the card with his face so close to the piece of cardstock that he barely even registered that Kai had joined him in the kitchen. The younger gave Yeonjun a knowing smile, not even bothering to tease him when he put the vase on display on the coffee table later that night.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed them,” Soobin’s voice is soft and warm, too warm for 6 pm on a Tuesday night that Yeonjun is supposed to be using to study for an upcoming quiz in his History of Rome class. It makes Yeonjun feel too many things. “You’re still waiting on a response, right?”

“Yeah. Two more weeks left.”

“Good. I’ll prepare an even better gift in the meantime.”

Yeonjun almost breaks his neck turning to face the chaebol again, “You don’t have to- ouch!” The senior gasps in shock and pain, rubbing at his side gingerly, “Oh, _now_ you want to come out?!”

Taehyun raises a brow, subtly tucking the offending elbow he’d plowed into Yeonjun’s side behind his back, “Did I miss something?”

“Minho was here.”

“What the fuck? Why didn’t you call me? I would’ve beat his ass!”

“That’s why,” Yeonjun laughs, glad to know that his friend would have his back if he had needed him, “Soobin took care of him for me though.”

Taehyun glances at Soobin who rubs the back of his neck sheepishly then smirks at Yeonjun, “Oh. That’s even better.” He then hikes his backpack strap up his shoulder again, “Well, I was about to tell you that I had to go. I forgot about a study group meeting I signed up for. Tell Hyuka I'll see him this weekend or something."

Yeonjun stamps down his own embarrassment with a nod, "'Kay. He's probably gonna text you all sad though."

"I figured," Taehyun tries to hide his smile as he bypasses the two on his way to the door, "See you later, Soobin hyung."

"Bye, Hyun-ah," Soobin grins, patting Taehyun's shoulder affectionately. 

The younger leaves with a wave over his shoulder. "Hyung? Hyun-ah?" Yeonjun repeats once the door closes behind him, "When did you guys get that close?"

Soobin shrugs, hands falling into his sweatpants pockets, "He added me on Twitter and started sending me dms some time last week."

_That little shit-_

"So, actually I wanted to ask if you were free tonight," the younger shifts his weight from one foot to the other and Yeonjun thinks this might be the first time that he's seen the chaebol seem... nervous? 

"Like right now?" 

Soobin snorts lightly, "Yeah. Right now."

"Um," Yeonjun can't even remember whatever he was doing before, "I am."

"Great. Another question: do you like music?"

"Who doesn't?"

"That's what I thought. Now last one: do you trust me?"

Yeonjun doesn't know how to answer, blinking at the guy who's been plaguing his every waking thought for the past month now.

Does Yeonjun trust him?

He barely knows him. They've been talking for some time now, but it hasn't been about much of anything. Sure he may be able to recall Soobin's favorite color, season, and TV show because he's read his kpop profiles like a textbook and somehow absorbed the information into a permanent pocket of his brain.

Trust though?

That's different. 

As Yeonjun's thoughts start circulating in an endless loop, Soobin breaks into a smile that pushes his round eyes into crescents, "Good answer. After tonight, I want to make sure you can say yes. So you should change into something more comfortable. And wear shoes that you can stand in." He checks his wrist, Apple watch lighting up at the gesture, "You have 20 minutes until we're late." Yeonjun stands there for a moment, waiting for the punchline that doesn't come. "The clock is ticking, hyung."

Although Yeonjun could shut down the younger's plans entirely with a simple 'What? No!' he finds himself squinting, "I always knew you were trouble." 

He then spins on his heels, rushing to his room with a pounding heart and goofy grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo classes are starting up again 😭 but the story must go on! I really love to double upload so sometimes it takes me a bit longer to be satisfied with each chapter. I hope that this is a nice little sample of the actual chaos to come >:)) please leave your thoughts below or come to my dms and spam me bc it rlly makes me smile hehe. thank you all for enjoying this book as much as I love writing it!!!


	9. n

Was this a bad idea? 

Probably.

But Soobin feels ten times better than he has all week just from having Yeonjun in his passenger seat.

"So, what have you been up to?"

Soobin readjusts his grip on the wheel, "Nothing worth mentioning," - _Just wasted the past week doing damage control after my routine social media check went haywire-_ "What about you?"

Yeonjun runs a hand through his hair, lifting his bangs enough to reveal a peek of brown roots, "Um..." the older male presses his lip into a pout, "Let me think." When he notices Soobin glances at him too often to be safe, he points aggressively to the road, "Eyes on the road."

This is the first time Yeonjun has commented on his driving since they got into his car, which is an incredible feat compared to the hundreds of times Yeonjun squirmed and made noises of shock the previous journey that they took in his car. Because of that very reason, Soobin decides not to tease the older any more than he already has, obeying the command with a wide smile beneath his mask.

It has been a week straight from Hell. On their Friday morning debriefs, their social media director Hanuel noticed an uptick of interactions with a recent post of Soobin's. Beneath the post is a reply that contains a blurry picture of Soobin with his arm wrapped around Yeonjun’s shoulders with the caption ' _ **omg who is THIS?!?!?÷ &@>#>**_"

His heart was in his throat as he tried to brush off the interaction as a photo with another fan. He could tell that his dad didn't believe him, but he didn't push the issue with all the board present. He received a thorough scolding and then was promptly dismissed. He's spent the last few days doing recon by interacting with his fans more than usual. Which meant that he hadn't had the time (or guts) to text Yeonjun.

But as he eases off the gas, drifting back down to the 60s, he realizes that he missed the older's presence more than he’d thought.

It's a frightening awareness that he decides to confront at some other time.

"I did my first check up on a lion at the sanctuary this week," Yeonjun answers after a moment.

"Wait, wait, you did what?" Soobin pulls up to a red light, twisting in his seat to study the elder properly.

Yeonjun changed into a baggy shirt with even baggier pants that easily engulfed his lean frame. With the outfit change, he looks even more pocket sized than usual and his pout is icing on the cake, "I-it's nothing-"

"-What are you talking about? That's so cool," Soobin spurs the senior on, enjoying the flush that races up his neck. "What did you do?" As Yeonjun begins to explain what a check up means as a zoologist, Soobin brings his attention back to the road. He nods encouragingly whenever the senior slows down and occasionally adds a hum of acknowledgement to show that he is listening.

“All in all, he’s healthy,” Yeonjun says happily, “Just needs a tooth pulled and some time to recover. And he’s pretty young, only four, so he should respond well to the rehabilitation process without losing any aggression.”

Soobin makes an impressed noise, “How are you not scared of being around a big animal like that?”

“Oh, I still get scared,” Yeonjun softly answers, eyes trained on the street view from his window, “But then I remember that they’re scared just like me. No reason to punish them for it.”

“But they can hurt you a lot more than you can hurt them.”

“Only if they think you can hurt them more,” Yeonjun counters matter of factly.

Soobin isn’t sure he can think about other people, let alone animals, when he feels endangered. His first priority has always been to take care of himself and worry about others later if they are valuable to him or the company. Even at the expense of innocent bystanders. And he believes that Yeonjun should be the same; people will only use him for his kindness staying the way he is now.

However, when he finishes that thought, the uncomfortable feeling that he’d experienced for the first time in his life at Lotte World returns, this time heavier. For some reason, he actually feels kind of shitty for thinking so selfishly, for placing himself high above those around him. They are just as deserving as him, just as important as him, even if they don't benefit him personally. The chaebol recalls Yeonjun saying that he does things not because they are effortless or fun for him, but because they can help others. It makes guilt course through Soobin with a renewed vigor.

He shrugs off the dark feeling with a deep breath, pressing back into his seat and stepping harder on the gas. The car is quiet for a while as he closes in on their date destination: a little busking corner that he’s enjoyed several times since he came to Seoul.

Paparazzi usually don't come this far out from the heart of the city; they should be safe to interact without peeping cameras. At least that's what Soobin hopes.

"I'm not gonna lie," the college senior begins, "I didn't think people like you knew this side of the city existed."

Soobin laughs at the choice of words, "People like me?"

"Chaebols."

"Ah, I think you mean spoiled brats, right?" Yeonjun sheepishly ducks his head, chin touching his chest. Soobin tries not to think about how much he enjoys the expression as he explains, "It's a good scouting location. Every time I come down here, I wind up finding someone to recruit." In the few months since Soobin arrived, he's doubled the usual amount of trainees coming into Big Hit purely because of this location. 

"My high school is near here actually," Yeonjun peeks out of the window again.

Soobin perks up, turning left at the light, "Really? Where at?"

"A few streets down. It's a performing arts high school, which probably explains why you find talented people around here.”

“Performing arts?” Soobin repeats incredulously.

“Yeah, weird, right?”

They arrive at the busking location, taking in an already bustling crowd, lines at most of the street food stalls and a handful of packed out restaurants. Finding parking is a pain in the ass, but Soobin manages to spot a tight parking space close to the action. He shifts gears to reverse in order to parallel park, planting his right hand on the back of Yeonjun’s headrest while his left guides the wheel. 

“Wow.”

“What?”

“I thought people only parked like this in movies,” Yeonjun whispers, as if speaking at a normal level would make Soobin crash instantaneously.

Soobin can’t help chuckling, switching gears to drive and easing his car forward, hand still on the headrest, “My hyung taught me this way. He said two hands meant more of a chance to second guess.” He shifts into reverse again, scooting the car back just enough to squeeze into the spot. Once parked, his gaze settles on Yeonjun’s attentive one, “Besides, it gives me an excuse to be close to you too.”

The bloom of pink on Yeonjun’s cheeks is almost comical. “You are so-”

“Handsome?”

“-Cheesy,” Yeonjun sneers much to Soobin's shock. He then swings his passenger door open and gets out without any further comment and Soobin struggles on processing the rejection as he mirrors his actions.

The evening air is cool, not too unpleasant, but chilly enough to hint at the dreaded beginning of winter coming. “Are you comfortable being outside? I know it’s a bit cold,” Soobin asks, clicking a button on his remote to lower and lock the doors.

Yeonjun shakes his head dismissively, “Don't worry about me." He crosses in the front of the car to join Soobin on the sidewalk, "I like this kind of weather. Reminds me of when I was younger."

"Good times?" They fall into step with Soobin leading the way to the street corner.

"Not always... But when it was like this outside, my mom would bring home something warm for me to eat," there's a distant look in his eyes, as if he's reliving the moment right then and there, "Even if I said I was full from lunch."

Soobin doesn't understand why Yeonjun would be so happy about such a mundane memory, tries to think of one of his own but comes up short. He doesn't have many simple memories to think of anyways; most of them revolve around when his family was whole and he prefers to steer clear of those kinds of thoughts. His gaze flits from the senior to the sidewalk and back before he asks to change the conversation, “Are you hungry?”

“Only a little bit. But we don’t-”

“Do you like tteokbokki?”

“Yes, but-”

“Great, there’s a little food stall that has some of the best in town,” Soobin gently slips his fingers into the open gaps of Yeonjun’s grasp, loose enough for him to escape, but firm enough to show that Soobin did it purposely. To his relief, Yeonjun shyly grips his hand back, allowing him to guide them directly to the closet food stall. “Hello ma’am.”

“Hello,” the stall owner is an older woman who observes their linked hands with a lifted brow, “what would you two gentlemen like?”

“Could we get an order of tteokbokki? Not spicy, please,” Soobin politely requests.

The stall owner nods, tapping on her register, “Just one?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Alright, that’s $5.” Soobin removes his wallet with his free hand, about to hand off his card when suddenly the woman says, "Oh, my card machine is broken. I'm only taking cash right now."

Soobin hesitates, lip catching between his teeth beneath his mask, "Oh, um-"

Yeonjun surges forward, producing a crumpled $5 bill from his pocket, "No worries. Thank you so much." He unlinks their hands to hand off the bill respectfully, slightly bowing, "I'm glad to see you are still doing well, Mrs. Lee."

"Ah, Yeonjun-yah, I thought that was you!" the stall owner lights up, a smile spreading across her fragile features, "How have you been?"

Soobin steps back in order to give Yeonjun the opportunity to move in, watching as the elder answers with obvious warmth, "I'm doing alright, just busy. I actually graduate this semester."

"It's been that long already?" she sounds just as surprised as Soobin was when he first learned of the news. "And you are just now coming back to see me? Wah, I always knew you’d get big and forget about us!”

“I could never!” Yeonjun exclaims, reflecting the older woman’s smile, “I haven’t forgotten anyone. My school schedule made it hard to find time to come home, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t miss this place.”

"Speaking of your home, how is Eunji? I haven't seen her in years now," she accepts the bill, shoving it into the drawer and tearing off a receipt, "She's still working at that hospital down the road?"

Yeonjun nods, taking the receipt with another bow, "Yes, she is."

"She doesn't work 60 hours anymore, right? I never liked her doing that."

60 hours? Soobin’s eyebrows furrow at the mere notion of working such an intensive workload. There's no way people actually work that much.

"She's been working less hours than before. Or, at least, she's telling me that."

Mrs. Lee grabs two large wooden spoons, mixing the tteokbokki on the griddle, sauce bubbling then scoops it into a medium sized paper tray, "Tell her to come visit me some time. I’ve been worrying about her." She hands Yeonjun the tray along with some napkins, "So what company got you? I see they have you wearing these crazy colors already."

Yeonjun breaks into a grin, "Oh, no, I didn’t sign with a agency. I’m in school to become a zoologist."

“A what?”

“It’s like a zoo vet. I’m sure you remember how much I liked animals when I was growing up.”

Soobin wonders just how far back their relationship goes as Yeonjun then passes the tray to him, gesturing for him to go ahead and take a bite. Out of respect, he doesn't, instead continuing to listen to their exchange.

Mrs. Lee’s forehead creases in thought, “I do remember you really liking the neighborhood strays, but enough to become a vet? I woulda thought you stuck with dancing. You were so good at it; one of the best from around here.”

“You credit me too much,” Yeonjun turns bright red, shoulders curling to his ears at the praise. Soobin can’t help his own eyes widening at the news. “It was just something fun I did in highschool. Nothing more.”

"Aish," Mrs. Lee waves both hands in shooing motion, "You coulda been big, I know it! These kids nowadays barely even catch people’s eye. No one can move through a crowd like you."

Soobin stares at Yeonjun in bewilderment, trying to picture the awkward, nervous college senior dancing on this very street corner. “Thank you, Mrs. Lee,” Yeonjun bows deeply, almost waist level, “That means a lot coming from you.”

The stall owner smiles happily, eyes closing in satisfaction, “Good. Don’t be a stranger, alright? Come back soon. Enjoy the meal with your _friend."_

Yeonjun immediately whirls around on his heels, a soft pink coloring his cheeks from his blush earlier, and Soobin follows him to a little pocket outside of the crowd. “I’m sorry about that. It feels like people keep recognizing me when we go out instead of the other way around,” Yeonjun apologizes and it makes Soobin frown. 

“No, it’s fine. It doesn’t bother me at all,” Soobin tells him, having experienced far worse from Beomgyu’s swarm of fans gathering every time they hang out in public now. “I didn’t know you danced.”

Yeonjun sheepishly says, eyes cast downwards, “Ah, I used to. I don’t do it anymore now.”

“Why not?”

After a moment, he shrugs, “It wasn’t enough to pay the bills.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I needed to focus on more realistic things. Something that could make actual money.”

“Dancing can make-”

“If you’re lucky. And I couldn’t afford to take that chance.”

There Yeonjun goes again, talking about money in a situation where money isn’t even involved. It has Soobin tilting his head, eyes narrowing in confusion and frustration equally, “But you liked doing it?”

“It was nice... While it lasted.”

The chaebol is unsure of what the feeling in his chest is, unsure of why he wants to understand so bad, “If you could, would you dance now?” Yeonjun hesitates. “You’ll be done with school soon.”

The older man finally looks up, but still not at Soobin. This time at the small cluster of people on either side of the makeshift stage, mainly young people chattering amongst themselves as the next performers prepare to begin. “Now?” he echoes.

“Now.”

“... I don’t know... Maybe? I mean... If, if I could, I would, but,” Soobin can see the hardening in Yeonjun’s eyes, “it’s not really an option for me anymore.”

Soobin hates that reponse, hates that it actually matters to him whether or not Yeonjun gave up his dreams for all the wrong reasons. But he can’t get his mouth around it, can’t get his thoughts to form any type of cohesive sentences so he just stands there. Eventually, the warmth of the tteokbokki tray reminds him of the snack and he extends the food towards the older, “Take a bite before it gets too cold.”

Yeonjun slowly picks up a skewered rice cake, careful not to let it drip. That nagging, uncomfortable sensation that Soobin first experienced at Lotte World is back with a vengeance. It causes three unanswered questions to cycle through his brain in an endless loop.

_1\. Yeonjun gave up his dream because of money?_

_2\. Why?_

_3\. Why give up what you love for money?_

He said that it wasn’t enough to pay the bills.

It’s the kind of thing that Soobin would disregard, the kind of thing he would leave for his dad to work out, the kind of thing that wouldn’t be a concern.

And yet, it's the most important thing to Yeonjun.

About halfway through the tray, Yeonjun encourages Soobin to eat as well. Slightly dazed, Soobin tugs his mask down beneath his chin, searching for another skewer of his own when suddenly a rice cake is hovering in front of his lips. His eyes adjust to see Yeonjun with an apprehensive expression, “There’s only one toothpick so... Um, here.”

“Thanks," Soobin leans forward, pulling it free from the toothpick.

"No problem," Yeonjun murmurs, eyes ticking up to Soobin’s and locking on.

The corner of Soobin's lips lift without much input from his brain and they finish the tray off just like that, with Yeonjun feeding them both. The senior then walks to the trash to toss their container, but before he can close their distance, someone calls out, “Yeonjun hyung!” Soobin’s eyebrows furrow at another person referring to Yeonjun as hyung when they land on a teenager, dressed in loose dance wear. “You’re actually here!”

Yeonjun flashes Soobin an apologetic look to the side, but Soobin shakes his head, gesturing for him to go ahead. “Heesung! Wow, you grew up!” he exclaims happily, closing their distance to wrap him in a quick embrace. “You performing tonight?”

“Yeah,” Heesung nods eagerly, “We’ve been practicing like crazy since it’s recruiting season.”

“Any companies reach out yet?”

Soobin glances to his left when he notices high pitched whispers coming from a group of girls nearby. They all collectively jump, turning away once they’re spotted, and Soobin quickly fixes his mask, inwardly cursing himself for forgetting to do so after eating. He hopes that none of them took pictures, definitely not wanting his location to be disclosed right now.

“C’monnnn, hyunggg, pleaseeee!”

“I haven’t danced in so long-”

“That doesn’t matter!”

“Heesung-ah-”

“Pleaseeeeee!”

Yeonjun pauses, then sighs in defeat, “... Alright, alright... Just one song.”

Heesung squeals, hands clapping, “Thank you, hyung! This is all I’ve been wanting!”

Next thing Soobin knows, Yeonjun is being dragged toward the stage. The senior shoots a look over his shoulder with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, causing Soobin to worriedly rush after him. He stops just at the crowd’s edge when Heesung pulls Yeonjun onto the raised platform with him.

The highschooler nods to the person controlling the music, another one of his friends Soobin assumes, “Everyone, welcome back the legend: Choi Yeonjun!”

The small crowd cheers, and Soobin joins in with a disbelieving grin. 

When the music starts, he watches Yeonjun shift into a stance that Soobin has never seen before: his shoulders roll back and his expression is one of pure confidence as he starts to sway to the ticks of the beat. The moment that Yeonjun breaks into his first move, the rhythm and movements are so natural, so second nature, that Soobin is instantly enraptured.

It’s scary how the sight is paralyzing in the best way possible, how Yeonjun makes Soobin feel too many things, how the chaebol is simultaneously intimidated and enamored. Standing in the center of the crowd, watching Yeonjun trust him enough to show yet another side, Soobin thinks that, for the first time ever, he might have met his match.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for waiting so patiently 😭 college has been kicking my butt (if you know how to do SQL or Python pls help me dshvbjh) but I wanted to at least update y'all on confident gay soobin and his adventures with our lovable yeonjun. leave a comment with your thoughts, pls! I love to read them and I always respond (even if it takes a while hehe)
> 
> be safe and wash your hands!! <33


	10. b

"Thank you for shopping at North Face," Taehyun smiles at the customer, pushing their bag across the counter. "Come back soon."

Yeonjun holds his head in his hands, trying not to think too much about how he missed the deadline for the stupid paper he had spent all night trying to type up. He has bigger things to agonize over anyways.

Taehyun frowns slightly, staring down at Yeonjun with an expression of pity that makes the older man look away, "Hyung... Maybe you should-"

"I'm fine," Yeonjun breathes, eyes closing to avoid the shame that comes with being pitied. He pulls his knees into his chest, back leaning against the counter to be out of the line of sight of customers, "Really. You don't have to stay over here."

"I know," his coworker replies, speaking softly, like he's afraid Yeonjun will break if he acts normal. Yeonjun absently thinks he's right. "But-"

"Hyun." A pause. "Please," Yeonjun keeps his eyes closed as he whispers.

No words follow the plea. There's nothing to say really. 

Taehyun’s footsteps echo across the concrete floors when he walks away and Yeonjun lets his forehead drop to his knees.

_What am I going to do?_

Yeonjun is two months from graduation, two months from a paycheck steady enough to actually take care of himself, to take care of his mother. 

He is so close.

Or he was.

This morning, as Yeonjun was busy opening the store, his phone rang. The number was unknown so he let it go to voicemail, but then his phone lit up again. And again. And again.

On the fourth time, Yeonjun swiped to answer, "Hello?"

"Hi... Junie, is that you?"

Yeonjun paused, then broke into a smile, "Yeah, eomma, it is. Sorry I didn't answer earlier; I didn't recognize this number."

"Oh, you’re fine, sweetheart. I wasn't able to pay my phone bill this month so-" 

"What? Why didn't you tell me? I can drop by the house later and-"

"No, no, it's not that important. I don't use my phone much anyways," his mother assured him, “Are you busy right now?”

Yeonjun closed the drawers on the cash registers and finished wiping down the counter, phone tucked in between his left shoulder and ear, “No, I just woke up.”

“Mmm, well, are you doing anything important today?”

Yeonjun leaned further to wipe at the edge of the countertop, “Not really,” he lies, “Is everything okay at home?”

“Yes, yes,” his mother crowed, “Everything at home is okay. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t interrupting your day.”

“Eomma, how many times do I have to tell you that you can't interrupt my day?” Yeonjun sighed into the receiver, tucking the towel back underneath the counter and heading towards the front door to officially open up. “I always have time for you.”

His mother hummed, not exactly acknowledging the statement but not ignoring it all together, “... Do you remember your halemoni?”

“Just a little." Yeonjun was young, around three or four when his grandma passed so his memories aren’t very clear. He only recalls a warm feeling and work worn hands.

“She really liked to call you her little fox.” Yeonjun smiled at the nickname from his grandma that has stuck with him ever since childhood. “Said you were the best protector our family could ask for... I know you’ve been trying to protect me. You’ve been doing well. Don’t blame yourself, okay?” 

Yeonjun's stomach twisted at the sudden statement, “Eomma, is something wrong?”

“... I have stage three breast cancer.” Yeonjun froze, only halfway to the door. “I’ve been trying to do chemo and work for the past month, but this morning I could barely get out of bed... The sweet lady next door, Ms. Zhou, helped me get to the hospital. I thought I should let you know." 

"What hospital?"

"Sweetheart, don't worry about that-"

"Where are you?"

Yeonjun could sense her hesitation, the line crackling with background noise and her labored breaths. As a child, Yeonjun's mother often hid her injuries and illnesses because she didn't want to 'distract' him from his studies. He guessed that the habit still remained. "There's nothing to see. Trust me."

It took all of Yeonjun’s self control not to shout, "You’re in the hospital right now and you're telling me that there is nothing to see?"

"All you're gonna see is me strapped up to an IV," his mother murmured through the line. 

Yeonjun pulled the phone away from his face to see that the caller ID was associated with the same hospital she worked at. Parkview. That must be where she's getting treatment. He commented, pressing the phone back against his ear, "Even more of a reason to visit you."

"But, sweetheart, you already have so much to do with school and work. I don't want you wasting time on seeing me."

"I don't care about any of that. You're more important than a dumb-"

"Aht, aht, none of that," his mother scolded, "Your education is what is going to keep you from ending up like me. Don't start being reckless now because of this."

Yeonjun squeezed his eyes shut, voice wavering, "How have you been paying for this?"

"That's for me to stress about, not you. I just need you to finish this semester. Okay?"

Yeonjun scoffs now, hot tears leaking out, wetting the knees of his jeans.

How could he not stress?

Yeonjun knows that she's probably been working herself into the ground to keep up with these bills. He also knows that she won't tell him how much they are. He'll have to try and call the hospital to find out how bad the loans have gotten.

The phone on the counter rings incessantly and, reluctantly, Yeonjun forces himself to rise. He turns around to face the object, snatching it off of his cradle, "Hello, this is North Face in the Galleria Mall. How can I help you today?"

"Yeonjun-ah?"

"... Chajangnim?"

His manager, Sejun, clears his throat, "Yes. I wanted to stop by in person today, but I'm stuck at the other location."

"That's okay. Everything is under control-"

"I know it is. You always have it under control," Sejun quickly interjects, "I'm not calling about the store."

"Oh."

"... Um," Sejun stays quiet for a long moment, Yeonjun can almost picture his nervous fidgeting, "I wanted to call to see if you need to take some time off..."

Yeonjun’s eyes cut to Taehyun, the younger man in the process of making a sale to a customer near the shoe department. Knowing his coworker, he probably texted their manager to let him know something had come up. "Thank you, Sejun chajangnim, but-"

"I'm sending Jaeyoung from the West Park store to take over the rest of your shift. You should take care of yourself today."

Yeonjun grips the phone tighter, “Chajangnim-"

"You'll get paid for today. Don't stress about that. Take your time," his manager insists, "If you need next weekend off as well, send me a text and I'll get it all arranged. Work can wait."

Yeonjun isn't sure how he ends the call, if he says anything at all, but he does. Within ten minutes, Jaeyoung, the shift supervisor for Sejun's other North Face location, arrives. He makes quick work of asking Yeonjun about all the necessary codes and employees scheduled for today. Somehow Yeonjun is able to teach Jaeyoung everything he needs to know and then he's waving a bye to everyone and standing in front of the mall.

The wind is vicious, severe and bitterly cold, blowing Yeonjun's flimsy windbreaker away from his skin and making him shiver. He blearily squints at the bus stop then checks his phone for the time. He isn't sure if he feels like waiting in this kind of weather and his finger is moving before his brain when it clicks Soobin's number.

He's never called the younger before. Sure, they text at random times of day, but the chaebol typically initiates the contact and it's mostly about bullshit. Although Yeonjun knows this, he can’t bring himself to care as the phone rings two times followed by a, "Hyung?"

Yeonjun sniffles, attempting to shield the mouthpiece of his phone as he mumbles, "Hey. Are you busy?"

There's a short pause, "No. Why? Is everything okay?"

"I need a ride home and the bus-"

"Where are you at?" Yeonjun hears the jingle of keys. 

"My job-"

"I'm on my way. Wait inside. I'll be there in fifteen."

And Soobin is true to his word, his car nearly skidding to a stop at the entrance of the mall fifteen minutes later. The doors of the sports car raise upwards, revealing the chaebol in navy blue slacks and a pristine, pressed white button up. When Yeonjun rushes into the passenger seat, he notices a suit jacket hanging from the headrest of the driver's seat. 

"Thank you," Yeonjun says, shivering, as the doors automatically lower and close them in, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

Soobin shakes his head, cranking up the heat despite being in a long sleeve himself, "Don't worry about it. They'll get over it."

"They?"

Soobin watches as Yeonjun buckles his seatbelt, "There were some investors having breakfast with my dad."

"On a Saturday morning? Isn’t business off limits on the weekend?"

"That's what I said! It was brain numbingly boring so you actually saved me. I should be thanking you," he flashes Yeonjun a smile that has something warm smouldering inside him, "So, where to?"

Soobin switches gears while Yeonjun fiddles with his seatbelt, "Home please."

They pull off, starting in the direction of Yeonjun’s apartment when Soobin asks, "You don’t have work today?"

"No," Yeonjun answers then realizes it sounds too short and adds, "Well, my boss let me have the day off."

"That's nice of them," Soobin makes a smooth, one handed turn, cufflinks catching the light, a large red gem encased in intricately carved silver, "What's the occasion?"

Yeonjun studies the accessory closely, wondering aloud, "What's up with you and the color red?"

"What do you mean?"

"You always have it on. Like always, I don't think there's ever been a day that I've seen you without it."

Soobin doesn't reply for a long moment, seemingly preoccupied with driving until, "... It's my mother's favorite color."

"Really?"

"Mhm."

"That's cute. You just wear it because she likes it?"

One corner of Soobin's mouth hikes up, "Yeah... It makes me feel close to her."

"So you're a mama's boy?" Yeonjun teases playfully.

This time Soobin does smile, but something about it looks off. "A proud one." The chaebol's fingers drum the steering wheel, "Aren't you too?"

The mention of Yeonjun’s own mother is sobering; he stops smiling. "Well, she's all I have so... Yeah," Yeonjun doesn't meet Soobin's gaze, doesn't have to in order to know that Soobin picks up on his shift in mood. He attempts damage control, "How was your week?"

The chaebol continues to glance at Yeonjun warily, perhaps debating if he should speak on the change. He doesn't. Instead he replies, "Good, good." Yeonjun lets out a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding. "Rehearsing sometimes gets frustrating, but Beomgyu drops by to say hi a lot."

"When does your first show air?"

The car comes to a crawl as Soobin pulls into the parking garage, "On Friday."

"What time?"

"5 pm."

"Noted," Yeonjun whips out his phone, typing a little reminder in his notes. 

"... I don't want to overstep a boundary," Soobin starts slowly when the car comes to a complete stop outside of Yeonjun's complex, "but it will bother me if I don't ask... Did something happen?" Yeonjun blinks at the question, as if it's the first time he's ever heard the phrase. Soobin shifts in his seat, switching gears to park, "Are you okay?"

“Nothing you can fix,” Yeonjun politely forgoes answering the second question, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

“I can listen,” the chaebol won’t stop looking at Yeonjun with his stupidly attentive big doe eyes, “If you want to tell me, of course... No pressure.”

Yeonjun stares at Soobin’s tie, the multi-layered knot far more complicated than anything Yeonjun has ever attempted in his life, and notices that it is off center. He finds himself reaching out without much thought, fingers brushing against the thin, stiff material of Soobin’s button up shirt as he adjusts the piece of fabric. Soobin stiffens but doesn’t protest the contact, chest slowly rising and dropping beneath Yeonjun’s hands. Subconsciously their breaths sync and, for just a moment, time is still.

And Yeonjun takes that as a sign to speak.

Yeonjun begins softly, hoping the hum of the car will swallow the words, “My mom is sick... She has... um, she has breast cancer.” Soobin waits patiently as Yeonjun’s fingers run over the ridges of the knotted fabric, gathering more courage. “She waited to tell me because I’m always busy even though I tell her I'm never too busy for her and-nd now I’m w-worried that it m-might be too-” his jaw clenches at the mere idea; he can’t even bring himself to finish the sentence. His hands then move upwards, tugging at Soobin's starched collar, self soothing by distracting his brain. “She didn't even want me to take off to visit her.”

Soobin is still looking at Yeonjun, too close for comfort when he whispers, “Do you want to visit her?”

“Yes,” Yeonjun’s voice breaks on the single syllable, “More than anything.”

"Then I can take you."

“But your dad-"

"He can handle the investors just fine on his own," the chaebol reassures, his chocolate doe eyes warming Yeonjun to his core, "What hospital is she at?"

Hesitation is quickly outweighed by desperation and Yeonjun whispers, "Parkview Memorial... I can tell you how to get there..." 

"Alright. Let's go."

As the chaebol puts the car in drive, Yeonjun drops his hands into his own lap, pinching and pulling at his skin nervously, "I know this isn't the most fun thing to do... So, thank you."

“If it’s important to you,” Soobin's left hand glides to the middle of the steering wheel while his right slips over the center console and separates Yeonjun's fidgeting hands. Their fingers intertwine reflexively, Soobin squeezing Yeonjun's hand gently, "it doesn’t matter if it’s fun. I’m always happy to help."

Yeonjun doesn't know how to respond to that so he instead focuses on giving directions and rhythmically clutching onto Soobin’s hand to stay grounded. They arrive faster than Yeonjun expects due to Soobin's speeding that doesn't even rile him up anymore. They park fairly close to the entrance and all Yeonjun can do is stare at the doors.

Memories of his younger years flood back, replaying the weekends he would spend in the cafeteria doing homework as his mother scrubbed the tables and floors spotless, the amount of times he's crashed in the seats of the lobby, the sweet custodians that gathered together whatever extra they had to give him change for the vending machines. They're bittersweet memories, tainted by poverty and struggle, but so filled with love and innocence that he can't be angry at them. He admits to the chaebol after a bout of silence, "... When I was younger, my mom and I fought a lot. Like a lot."

"What about?"

"I didn't understand how hard she was working to give me what we had,” he watches the doors open to let out an older couple wrapped up in each other’s arms, “I just knew we didn’t have everything I wanted and she was the reason why."

"Ah... I think I had the same problem with my mom."

"So what made you become a mama's boy?"

"Mm," Soobin considers the question, "Probably my fifth birthday. I'd woken up early in the morning and went to the kitchen to find my mom up baking my favorite cake," the chaebol's eyes are unfocused as he explains the memory, "She didn't have to bake it herself, could've bought it, or even had our cook make it. But there she was, in her red apron and pajamas at 4 am, determined to make my birthday cake perfect."

_Our cook?_

The title is foreign to Yeonjun. Their 'cook’ was his mother and later, when he was old enough to learn how to use the stove, him. The reminder that Soobin had a cook as a child feels like the sting after a slap, hot, sudden and unexpected. He attempts to think past it. He tries to picture the moment, sees a little Soobin with oversized pjs, puffy eyes and chubby cheeks and it’s enough to keep him from spiraling, "That's cute."

Soobin nods slowly, blinking back into focus, "Yeah... It is..." he glances towards the entrance then back at the senior, "Do you... do you want me to walk you?"

The offer makes Yeonjun feel like a child. "Oh, no, I just-"

"-I really don't mind-"

"-I don't want to take up more of your-"

"-I'm asking because I want to-"

"-Your dad-"

"Yeonjun hyung."

There Soobin goes again, calling Yeonjun like the senior's name was made to come from his lips and his alone. "Yes?" his response is meek.

"Is it alright if I walk you inside?"

Yeonjun refuses to meet the younger’s eye, "Yes."

And that's how they wind up outside his mother's door, hands still interlocked with Yeonjun clinging on for dear life. The nurses that walked them there were kind, having known Yeonjun's mom for nearly his entire life, and gave their own heartfelt condolences.They only serve to make Yeonjun feel worse. His mother has been battling cancer alone for who knows exactly how long without Yeonjun even knowing or seeming to care. All because he was busy entertaining a guy who had no use for him outside of semi-okay conversation and company. A guy so blatantly out of his league that Yeonjun can google his name and find articles upon articles of other suitors much more deserving than himself. A guy that grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth and has never had to worry about how he has to pay for his mother’s hospital bills, or student loans, or groceries-

As if Soobin could sense Yeonjun’s mounting anxiety, the chaebol rubs his thumb over the back of Yeonjun’s hand, “I can stay downstairs if you need a ride back.”

“No,” Yeonjun hurriedly denies the offer, “No, you- you-” _you’ve already done too much for me and I can’t even pay you back for it_ “-you should get back to your dad. I’m sure he’s worried about you,” Yeonjun struggles to swallow the lump in his throat as he pulls his hand out of Soobin’s hold.

“Are you sure?”

 _No._ “Yes,” Yeonjun lies with a weak smile, “Thank you for picking me up and driving me here again. Be safe.”

Soobin doesn’t move, like he can sense all of the unsaid fears rolling off of Yeonjun, “I will.”

“Good,” Yeonjun faces the door of the hospital room, “I’ll see you later.”

_You don’t have time for fairytales, Yeonjun._

“... If you change your mind, call me, alright?”

_Snap out of it._

“You should leave,” Yeonjun can’t bring himself to watch as Soobin reluctantly walks away, waiting until the elevators ding open and close to take a deep breath. He exhales slowly, eyes fluttering shut, then finally knocks on the wooden surface of the door, “Eomma?”

“Junie?”

_Worry about something that is real for once._

“Can I come in?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always grateful for your patience! I hope that you are doing well and that this update is... fulfilling >:) pls leave your thoughts below or come yell at me on twt!! 
> 
> stay healthy and wash your hands <33


	11. i

**💗🐧hueningie**

**hyunggggg  
** **wyd tn?  
** _Read 2:38 pm_

The text makes Soobin glance down at his phone while his dad is mid-pitch. He debates whether or not to reply for half a second before slyly swiping the screen open.

**💗🐧hueningie**

**Nothing lol  
** **Something up?  
** _Read 2:40 pm_

It's a harmless white lie. Soobin technically has rehearsal for his show tonight, but it hasn't exactly been the most exciting process. He could take a night off.

**💗🐧hueningie**

**yeonjun hyung hasn't come home in a while  
** **i wanted to bring him some clothes and** **take out  
but i think he'd like it more if it was ****from u  
** _Read 2:40 pm_

The message isn’t very surprising considering the fact that Taehyun told Soobin that Yeonjun had picked up extra shifts during the week. Soobin still isn’t sure why, is afraid to ask in case he winds up crossing a boundary; he just knows that it is likely the culprit behind Yeonjun’s slow, or non existent, reply to his texts these days.

**💗🐧hueningie**

**When??  
** _Read 2:40 pm_

**4?**   
_Read 2:41 pm_

**K  
** **Omw when I get off  
** _Read 2:41 pm_

 **😏** **somebody's whipped** _ **  
**Read 2:41 pm_

**soobin is typing...**

**soobin is typing...**

**Shutbup  
** _Read 2:46 pm_

**soobin is typing...**

**That's why Taehyun thinks** **your laugh is weird  
** Read 2:50 pm

 **> :(  
** **that's why yeonjun hyung thinks ur a dummy**  
 _Read 2:50 pm_

Before Soobin can reply, his father suddenly calls out, "So, Soobin, what do you think? Is this a good way to expand our streams of passive income?" 

Soobin reflexively clicks his phone screen off, eyes darting upwards, "If I'm being honest," he begins, stalling to think hard about what little information he'd actually heard, "I don't see how it will sustain itself in the long term. I feel like we need a project that requires less attention." 

His dad squints at him from across the room and Soobin knows that his dad can tell when he's been distracted, has seen the man's creased brow deepen more than enough times to know that he can detect when Soobin is not listening. "... Alright. Jaehwa, create an estimated list of expenses associated with this venture. Let's keep the employees assigned under 30. Tell me what you find next week. Meeting adjourned, you all are free to leave." Everyone rises to their feet to bend in a bow, Soobin going deeper than the rest. However, just when Soobin thinks he can breathe, his father says, "Soobin. Stay for a moment please."

The room empties far too quickly, a few employees patting Soobin’s shoulder on their way out for comfort. Although Soobin’s father is a kind businessman, probably the nicest out of the CEOs currently operating in the music industry, it doesn’t stop him from scolding those who don’t meet his high (and often unachievable) expectations. Soobin is lucky to be his son, mostly dodging the punishments given to his employees, but that doesn’t stop his heart from lodging in his throat as his father falls back into his seat at the head of the table, brow furrowed with concern, "Is something wrong? You don't usually get distracted in these meetings."

"Oh, no, everything is okay. Kai,” Soobin tries to piece together a solid lie, “um, just wanted me to come over tonight. And I was trying to make sure he didn’t want me to bring anything."

“Don’t you have work tonight?”

Soobin internally curses his father’s attentive nature, quickly adding, “Jungho PD-nim said that they’re re-filming the performances tonight so I’m not needed.” 

"Mm. Are you going out?"

"No, just staying in one place." It isn't a total lie; Soobin is technically staying in one place that just so happens to be outside of his usual routine.

His father nods, "Ah okay, well, I won't keep you here long. I just wanted to let you know that Hanuel handled those pictures and users. There shouldn’t be any more posts like that regarding that day."

"Thank you, appa," Soobin slightly bows, eyes dropping to the table out of embarrassment.

"... I haven't really brought up this situation because I know that this isn’t the lifestyle you asked for,” his father is gentle as he speaks, careful with his words as always, “And I don't want you to feel like you can't be a normal person. But we just settled the defamation case with Park Ren last week and you going off to do things like that with random, low level men is the last thing Big Hit needs right now.”

Soobin had decided it was probably best not to name Yeonjun when being investigated about who was in the picture with him; instead he said that it was a trainee he’d met while out with Beomgyu one day. The choice now has Soobin biting down on the skin of his cheek harshly as he murmurs, “I know, appa. I’ll be more careful. I’m sorry that I caused so much trouble.”

"Don’t be. You’re my son; you can’t cause me any trouble I didn’t ask for.”

_Any trouble I didn't ask for..._

The words aren't plain and outright, but the implication is all the same. Soobin knows that him being gay causes trouble in more ways than his father will admit. 

When Soobin came out a few months after Kai, his father responded with much less hostility than Kai's parents. He didn't immediately strip him of his title or curse him out of disgust. He merely cried, a small pitiful noise that Soobin hadn't heard since the funeral. A cry of death. It was done quietly in private during the cover of night, in his study where he likely thought Soobin wouldn't be around.

But he was. He listened as his father cried out for his mother and asked for strength and guidance. As he begged for God to show him mercy. As he begged for it to be a dream.

And Soobin thinks that hurt more than if his father had rejected him to his face. He'd decided not to tell the public, despite his father giving him approval to do so, a choice based purely on the fact that he knew his father would only suffer extreme prejudice and questioning by those around him.

_"You couldn't even raise your son properly. What makes you think he can run a company?"_

It is a question Soobin never wants to hear aloud, a question he can't handle hearing his father answer.

His father shifts uncomfortably in his chair, bringing Soobin's attention back to the present, “... Well, I'll see you tonight." Soobin rushes to the door at the dismissal, opening the door just as his father clears his throat, "I love you, Soobin."

"I love you too, appa," Soobin mumbles in reply then steps through the double doors of the conference room, closing them after himself.

He checks the time to see that it is a little past three and frowns. He doesn't have time to stop home and change like he wants to, but he doesn’t dwell on the thought long, rushing to the elevator and impatiently pressing the button for the parking garage. No one stops him on his way down, a miracle at a company like Big Hit where everyone knows everyone, and he's able to make it to Kai and Yeonjun's place in under 20 minutes (with some help of speeding).

He knocks on the door and isn't even able to get a word out before Kai is shoving a large paper bag full of food into one hand and a tightly tied plastic bag with what Soobin assumes is a change of clothes for Yeonjun, "This should be enough lunch for all of you. When you get to the front desk, just ask for Choi Eunji. Thank me later."

“Wait, I’m going to eat with them? What if his mom recognizes me?”

“Trust me, she’s just as clueless as Yeonjun, if not more,” Kai assures Soobin, “She still doesn’t know what company my parents own and I’ve known her for, like, three years now. You’ll be fine. Now go.”

Soobin wastes no time getting to the hospital on the other side of town, literally skidding into a parking spot in front of the hospital. As he removes his company badge and runs a hand through his hair, he is reminded of how close he is to Yeonjun's old highschool, to the busking corner, (to their last date) and has to stamp down the giddiness that rises from the memory. He pulls on his mask and approaches the hospital with both bags in hand. Before he can reach the front desk though, a gift shop with a display of bouquets catches his eye. 

He reaches the flowers within a few strides and spends far too much time studying the pretty combinations indecisively when a worker suddenly appears at his side, “You’re the boy that came with Yeonjun-yah last time, right?”

Surprised that he was remembered from the chance encounter a month ago now, Soobin turns to take in the woman dressed in navy blue scrubs, “Uh, yes. I am.”

She selects a small bouquet of ruby red roses from the display, “He loves roses; used to come over here all the time just to sniff them when he was younger.”

Soobin stares at the bouquet in her hand for a moment, thinking of the similar bouquet he'd bought to congratulate the senior on his interview. He feels relieved to know that it was indeed a good choice. He shyly requests after a moment, “Oh, um, thank you... Do you mind helping me pick out flowers for his mom as well?"

The worker seems pleased by the question, making a humming noise as she scours the rest of the bouquets. She lands on a colorful, elaborate bouquet consisting of pink, white and yellow flowers that have fanning petals and a sweet scent. “She really likes this arrangement. She always rants about how she wants to buy a bouquet like this to take home, but it’s too expensive to justify.”

“Do you sell vases here too?”

The woman’s brows raise, “Yes, but it’s probably cheaper to just buy-”

“Can you pick vases that you think go well with these, please?”

Although it takes some time, both of the bouquets are trimmed and placed in nice, elegant vases tied with ribbon and hand signed cards. Noticing his already full hands, the sweet worker offers to carry them upstairs for him. On the way there, they fall into small talk, “So, how did you meet Yeonjun?”

“Through a mutual friend.”

"Ah, is he popular in college too?" Soobin nods even though he really doesn't know. "We always knew he'd be someone special. That boy has a gift."

"Really?"

"Yes! I'm sure you've seen him dance before," the woman gushes proudly, "He’s been moving like that since birth. It's amazing." Soobin smiles at the not so long ago memory of watching Yeonjun dance for the first time. "It's a shame he stopped. His mom really tried to encourage him to continue pursuing it in college. But Yeonjun’s just as stubborn as her, that boy."

They start slowing down in front of a door as Soobin thinks aloud, "Do you think he'd dance now? If a company approached him?"

"With Yeonjun the way he is right now? Not really," the woman's expression is somber, "He'd need a lot of convincing. And a helluva paycheck." They come to a complete stop at door 553 and the woman balances one vase in the crook of her elbow to knock in order to announce their presence. 

Soobin can hear shuffling inside and then a soft, raspy, "Come in!"

The woman twists the doorknob and pushes it open with her hip, "You have a guest here to visit."

Soobin bows as he steps inside, "Good afternoon, Choi-ssi. I hope you can forgive me for visiting without any notice." 

When he looks up, he finds a small, frail woman with familiar fox eyes and pointed cheekbones. Her salt and pepper hair is knotted into a ponytail with stray hairs framing her face and her hospital gown looks a few sizes too big. Her gaze is quick and calculating, taking in the vase that the sweet worker places at her bedside and then the one that she places by Yeonjun who sits, mouth agape, eyes blown wide.

"Thank you so much," Soobin calls after the woman who leaves just as quickly as she came, flashing a polite smile beneath his mask that she returns. He then turns back to the two people he'd come to see. "I brought some dinner for the both of you as well as some clothes for Yeonjun hyung," Soobin clarifies without prompting, "Is there a place you would like for me to put the food?"

Yeonjun's mom glances from the flowers to her son to Soobin, then breaks into a wide grin, "You can place it on that tray to your left. Matter of fact, go ahead and push it towards me." Soobin obeys the command, setting down the food bag and gently pushing the rolling tray towards the older woman. "Junie, are you going to introduce me to your friend or just sit there with your mouth open all rude like that?"

Yeonjun suddenly jumps to his feet, "Oh! Um, eomma, this is Soobin. He is a," Yeonjun shifts, wringing his hands in a way that makes Soobin want to pry them apart, "a, uh, he's Kai's friend."

Soobin fights back a giggle while his mom squints at the senior clearly amused, a slight smirk pulling at one corner of her mouth, "Kai's friend, eh?" She switches her attention back on Soobin, "Well then, Soobin, it's nice to meet you. I am Eunji, Yeonjun's mom; although I'm sure you knew that."

"Yes, he talks about you all the time," Soobin nods earnestly, "It is an honor to meet you." As he speaks, he shifts his stance to properly take Yeonjun in for the first time in a long while.

The older man looks... tired. His usually sparkly brown eyes are decorated with puffy under eye bags and a hint of blue at the edges. His hair is no longer an electric yellow, the color faded into a brassy blonde with dark brown roots. Soobin spots a pillow and blanket on the chair beside him and assumes that's how Yeonjun has been getting by lately. 

"I brought clothes for you," he says quietly while lifting the bag between them, "Kai said you've been here for a minute."

The chaebol doesn't bother saying that he'd been worried himself, mouth already feeling stuffed with cotton at the mere sight of the man who'd been keeping him up at night. Soobin isn't so self absorbed that he hadn't noticed Yeonjun's distancing tactics. In fact he'd realized right away when the senior started to reply slowly and then not at all to his texts. He didn’t seek out Soobin whenever he came on weekends, didn’t ask about his day or his job or anything. It was a jarring transition.

With Soobin’s own busy recording schedule to fufill (and stupid pride), he hadn't pestered Yeonjun much about the changes. Besides, it wasn't like Yeonjun owed him an explanation; they weren't exclusive or anything close enough that would warrant such a reaction.

But, now, standing a foot away from the senior makes all those feelings Soobin hadn't confronted in too long come rushing back. He tries not to let it show, tries not to acknowledge the relief he feels from being with the one person who doesn’t treat him like Choi Soobin, but just Soobin, scared of how many things are attached to that acknowledgement. 

Yeonjun rubs the back of his neck with one hand, accepting the bag with his other, "I've only been here a day or two," he mumbles, "... I'm sure Kai told you to do this." Soobin feels a strong pull to say that he wanted to do this on his free will, but Yeonjun keeps talking, "I know you've been busy with filming so thanks for coming out here."

Soobin slips his hands into his pants pockets, unsure of what to do with them now that they're empty, "No problem... How have you been?"

In the background, Soobin hears the paperbag being wrestled open. Yeonjun's eyes dart over to the noise and he gives an apologetic smile, "One sec." He crosses the room, carefully pulling the bag out of his mom's hands, "I got it, eomma." Soobin watches as Yeonjun unpacks the food and is surprised at just how much Kai ordered when they have to place several containers on the side tables. 

"Were you trying to feed the whole floor?" his mom teases the chaebol with another crooked grin.

Soobin flushes, quickly insisting, "I wasn't sure how well you've both been eating lately. I thought it'd be better to over deliver."

"Well, there's no way we can eat all this alone. You should stay-"

"-Eomma, he's-"

"-Okay," Soobin accepts the offer with a smile of his own while Yeonjun gapes at him yet again.

"Your dad-"

"We talked before I left-"

"-Your show-"

"Don't worry about that," he says coolly, feeling oddly comforted by the fact that the older man actually cares about his personal endeavors, "One night off won't kill me."

Yeonjun's mom nods, satisfied, "Junie, baby, move your stuff so he can sit down."

Yeonjun follows the command, expression still unconvinced, but Soobin tries to soothe him with the brief eye contact they hold as he folds up a thin blanket. The room is fairly wide, with the hospital bed shifted off towards the left and small seating area that consists of a bench built into the wall and armchair towards the right. There is a short table that can be moved around for multiple purposes and, judging by Yeonjun’s laptop and papers spread across it, has been converted into a desk for some time. Yeonjun works quickly, faster than Soobin has ever been when cleaning, and stacks his blanket and pillow on the ledge just behind the bench.

"So, Soobin, what do you do?"

The chaebol turns back to the older woman, "I work for my dad's company," he answers honestly, watching Yeonjun pack his work materials into his backpack to clear off the table. 

"Ah, what a good son," his mom coos, "I'm sure your dad is happy to have you working with him."

She picks up a set of wooden chopsticks and attempts to pry them apart, hands shaking unsteadily. Soobin leans forward without a second thought, picking up another set of chopsticks and splitting them for her. "Here you go," he carefully removes the unbroken set from her grasp, passing off the other set. She flashes a grateful smile that Soobin recognizes as the blueprint for Yeonjun’s familiar one.

"Do you go to school?"

"No ma'am. The company needed me right away," Soobin admits and glances to his right when a light tap touches his shoulder, Yeonjun’s signal that he can sit. He lowers into the seat, clarifying, "I don't mind it though. I'm not much of a school person."

"Neither was I," his mom snorts, "I always tell Yeonjun he took my brain with him when he was born." Soobin laughs, the loud, carefree sound making Yeonjun pause in his busy work and break into a smile of his own involuntarily. Yeonjun's mom watches the interaction with intense eyes, asking, "You're a friend of Kai's, right? Is that how you met Junie?"

Yeonjun moves towards his mom, opening the top on the dishes and maneuvering them so that she can reach them without moving much. He passes Soobin a container of bulgogi kimbap, his favorite dish, without the chaebol even asking, avoiding eye contact, as he tells his mom, "Eomma, please don't interrogate him."

"Why not? It's the first time you brought a sensible boy home-"

"Eomma!"

"What?!"

Soobin pretends to be distracted by his food, trying to contain his amusement while Yeonjun scrambles over his words, "We're not- He's a- You're not getting it!"

"Oh, trust me, I get it," his mom smirks, "Anyways, Soobin, I was asking if you met him through Kai."

"Yes, ma'am, I actually did. Kai has been my best friend since I was little, but I didn't live in Seoul for some time. He would talk about Yeonjun hyung all the time whenever we called though so as soon as I moved here, I asked to meet him. We've been good," he hesitates when confronted with labeling whatever it is they have(/had/are/were) and settles for the most simple option, "friends ever since."

"No need to be so formal; I'm not an old prude," Yeonjun's mom says with a flutter of her free hand, "Call me Eunji." Soobin only watches her chopsticks shakily work to grasp a piece of chicken from her bowl for a few seconds before digging into the bag to find a spare fork. He offers the utensil to her and, after a moment of consideration, she accepts it. "Don't keep watching me; go ahead and eat. Both of you."

They each nod reluctantly, Yeonjun crossing the room to sit beside Soobin with his own meal in hand after a beat. Eunji flicks on the TV, gasping at whatever historical K drama is on and jamming the volume button until it’s booming around the room. As she settles into her bed and starts to eat, Soobin takes the opportunity to watch the senior next to him closely.

"I can feel you staring," Yeonjun mutters, quiet and embarrassed, cheeks tinting red.

Soobin pulls his mask down to bunch at his chin, "Wasn't exactly trying to hide it."

"You have no shame-"

"-At all," Soobin agrees, head tilting mischievously, "It’s been a while since I’ve had this pleasure.”

Yeonjun stabs around his bowl, face hot, “My mom is literally three feet away.”

“She can’t hear us.”

“You don’t know that.”

“True, but I can whisper if you’d like,” Soobin shifts slightly, leaning close enough for Yeonjun to stiffen, and drops his voice low, “Is this better?”

“No,” Yeonjun chokes out, eliciting a knowing smirk from the chaebol, “No, just shut up.”

“That’s no fun,” Soobin pouts, continuing to whisper, “I came all the way out here and you’re telling me to stay quiet?”

“Yes.”

“But whyyyy?”

“There’s nothing for us to talk about.”

“There is actually a lot for us to talk about.”

“Like?” Yeonjun snaps and Soobin nearly falters from the venom in his tone.

“... Anything you want.” The senior’s chopsticks swirl aimlessly in his bowl in response. Sensing that something is off, that Yeonjun is actively resisting him in a way that makes his stomach church, Soobin continues to prove his point by asking, “How is school?”

“Good.”

“Work?”

“Same as always.”

“Did you ever hear back from that zoo in Muan?” 

Yeonjun hesitates, shoulders drawing up and brow knitting together, “... Yeah...” he clears his throat, “They weren’t paying enough... I had to turn down the offer.”

_They weren’t paying enough?_

_What’s enough?_

_And how does a job with a degree not provide it?_

Soobin tries to think of what he gets paid, tries to figure out if Yeonjun would consider it to be enough. Or if enough means something entirely different. The question is out before he can analyze it, “How much was it?”

Yeonjun looks at him with a gaze so heavy that Soobin sinks under it, “... $30K.”

“That’s-” _the price of a car_ , is what the chaebol wants to say, but Yeonjun interrupts him.

“I know. It’s an alright salary, but I need more,” his chocolate hues lift in the direction of his mom and then back down, “A lot more.”

Soobin blinks down into his bowl, unsure of what to say, of how to comfort Yeonjun yet again, and it only makes his stomach cramp harder.

Yeonjun places down his bowl and rises to his feet suddenly, “I’ll be back,” he announces to no one in particular then turns to his mom, “Need anything?” Eunji shakes her head, watching the TV in the corner of the room intently. Yeonjun grabs the plastic bag that Soobin had brought and leaves, taking so much more than himself with him. 

Soobin doesn’t realize he is still staring at the door until Eunji sighs out and his gaze switches over, “I hope you can forgive him if he seems a little cold right now.”

“It’s understandable,” Soobin finds himself saying without much thought, “He’s got a lot on his mind.”

Eunji solemnly explains, “He’s been pressuring himself to find a job that can take care of the both of us. I don’t know how to get it through his head not to worry about me. So if he seems rude, just know that’s not really Junie talking.”

_A job that can take care of the both of them..._

“Oh,” Soobin squeaks, an idea crashing through his train of thought, “oh.”

Soobin can help with that. He gives people jobs for a living. All he needs is-

“Choi-ssi-”

“Eunji.”

“Eunji-ssi,” Soobin glances at the closed door, “do you have any videos of Yeonjun dancing? Like anything from high school?”

The older woman squints in thought before nodding, “Yeah, I do. A stall owner would send me videos of his performances since I never could make it.”

“Would you mind sending them to me?”

Eunji’s head tilts but she still retrieves her phone from the night stand beside her, “Not at all. What’s your number?” They exchange numbers and Eunji sends all of the dance videos she has saved, all while Soobin’s heart beats in his throat, hyper aware of the movement outside of the door. As the clips load in his messages, Eunji inquires, “Have you ever seen him dance in person?” Soobin nods and she pauses, “... What was it like?”

“Magic,” although Soobin would find the word corny in any other context, it felt right when applied to Yeonjun, “He has incredible stage presence. No one could look away.”

Eunji smiles, a sad little thing, “That’s what everyone tells me. I wish he could see it too.”

The last video icon spins, buffering, and Soobin stares at the blurry thumbnail of a black haired high school Yeonjun, “... He will. It’s just going to take some convincing.” _And a helluva paycheck._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so it's been a month and I'm still dying :") BUT winter break is almost here which means I can use my brain to store things other than code 🥴 
> 
> I usually would respond to every single comment, but these past few weeks (and chapters) have been difficult to figure out. so I want to thank any and everyone who comments, leaves kudos, dms me on twt, everything. y'all are the reason I love to write and keep posting so thank you and please, please, please continue to share your thoughts bc it really motivates me!
> 
> stay safe and wash your hands <33


	12. n

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays, if you celebrate! 🎄 Here is my gift to you! I hope you enjoy this good news ☺ thank you as always for reading, leaving comments and kudos! Please let me know your thoughts and stay warm!

“Are you Choi Yeonjun?” The question catches Yeonjun off guard, startling him so much that he nearly tags his finger to the puffer vest in his grasp. When he turns to address the person who posed the question, he finds an older man with wire rim glasses that magnify his eyes in a way that would’ve been comical if he hadn’t said Yeonjun’s full name seconds ago. Yeonjun watches the stranger study his name tag then say with what sounds like disappointment, “I see you’ve dyed your hair.”

Yeonjun’s eyebrows furrow, searching through his memory to identify the man and coming up empty handed. Maybe he’s from corporate? Sometimes Sejun, his manager, has other managers come check out his stores to make sure everything is in order. This could be one of those people, which would make sense as to why he knows Yeonjun’s full name. Or maybe he’s a stalker. It’s a toss up honestly.

“Yes, I have,” Yeonjun replies after a prolonged beat.

“No worries, we can get that fixed for you,” the stranger nods once firmly then bows, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

What?

“It’s nice to meet you too?” Yeonjun bows in return, forcing himself to remember his customer service training, placing aside the want to tell this asshole that his hair is actually _fine,_ thank you very much. “How can I help you today, sir?”

"Do you belong to an agency?"

Well, that’s not what Yeonjun was expecting to hear. He thought the man would ask a question about the store’s operations or possibly for help finding an item. Not this. Yeonjun realizes that another lapse of silence has fallen over them and scrambles to say something to fill it, “... Me?”

The stranger confirms, “Yes, you.”

Yeonjun doesn’t belong to anything. He barely feels like he belongs to himself these days. Yet he still asks, “Like... like what kind of agency?”

“A talent agency.”

“A talent agency?”

“ _Yes,_ ” the stranger stresses, clearly not pleased by having to repeat his words in bite size phrases.

“N-no, no, I’m not.”

The stranger suddenly produces a business card from his pocket, “I would like to change that today.”

“... What?” Yeonjun stares at the card in pure disbelief. The stranger continues speaking, but Yeonjun mostly hears static as he turns the cardstock in his hands, reading the words ‘ _Recruiting Manager_ ’ in tiny font with a lump in his throat.

He’s a recruiter.

He came here to recruit Yeonjun.

_But-_

“How did you find me?” Yeonjun blurts, eyes snapping back up to the older man.

Although taken back by the interruption, the recruiter answers, “Well, it was difficult in the beginning. We originally tried reaching out to your high school, but they wouldn't release any contact information. They wouldn’t let us contact the student organization either; apparently everyone had already aged out that would’ve danced with you previously. We then tried to narrow down students that knew you while you were still a student and met a current senior who was able to give us your social media handles. We messaged you through Instagram but got no reply.” - Yeonjun briefly remembers declining a spam message that asked for a phone call sometime last night - “Thankfully, we were able to get connected to a friend tagged in a few of your photos. He told us where you worked and I rushed here as soon as I could.”

“Friend?” He twists, eyes racing until they land on Taehyun who is busy cataloging the returns made today. Yeonjun doesn't post often, maybe once in a blue moon, so he figures that the person in the photos must have been his coworker. “I see.” 

“My company,” Yeonjun takes in a logo _‘Pledis’_ on the business card as the recruiter starts pitching, “is up and coming. We’re dedicated to cultivating a fresh take on the industry of kpop idols. Right now, we are in the process of recruiting new solo artists and your dancing was by far the most-”

“You’ve seen my dancing?” Yeonjun blinks, feeling something akin to whiplash at yet another unexpected piece of this conversation.

The recruiter nods earnestly, “Yes. It’s been trending on Naver since it was posted last night-”

“Excuse me, I’ll be just a moment,” Yeonjun doesn’t even wait for the recruiter to dismiss him before he’s spinning on his heels and marching in Taehyun’s direction. He slams his palms down on the countertop to get his coworker’s attention, “Care to explain why a recruiter is breathing down my throat right now?"

Taehyun looks up, startled by Yeonjun’s noisy appearance, "Huh?"

"Don’t ‘huh’ me!" Yeonjun huffs back angrily, finger stabbing at the countertop, "I know you told this man where I work."

Taehyun's gaze flickers from Soobin to the recruiter behind him then back. "Oh, he actually showed up," his coworker says in blatant amazement.

"That's not the point, Taehyun," Yeonjun pointedly replies, "Why is he here?"

“... To recruit you. I thought that was obvious."

“For?” Yeonjun presses, feeling his temper spike at Taehyun’s commentary.

Taehyun speaks slowly, as if Yeonjun is a five year old child asking too many questions, “For dancing.”

“How does he know I dance?” although Yeonjun plans to end the sentence in past tense, present tense comes out instead and he convinces himself that it’s because he’s worked up. “He said that it was trending on Naver or something.”

Taehyun goes bug eyed, “No fucking way.” He promptly whips out his phone and Yeonjun cranes his neck over the counter to look as well. He opens Naver, clicks around the app then gives a squawk of disbelief, “Holy shit, hyung, you’re trending on Naver nationwide.” Taehyun turns his phone screen to Yeonjun, damn near jamming the thing in his eye socket, and Yeonjun snatches it out of his grasp to see it clearly. 

He barely skims over the words surrounding the - _his_ \- hashtag before he’s clicking on it, redirecting him to Youtube. The title of the video is _‘_ **Jumpman by Drake Dance Cover** _’_ and the views on it almost make Yeonjun faint.

“Hyung, 700,000 people watched this already!” Taehyun clambers over the counter for a better view. Yeonjun allows himself to be twisted around, pulling the phone back enough for both of them to see as the gray circle loops in anticipation. He’s more aware of the recruiter’s presence at this angle, but his attention is too attached to the device in his hand to care. 

Within seconds, Yeonjun feels like he’s thrown right back into high school, the all too familiar hype beat fading in through the phone speakers. He watches as his old cover dance group appears on the screen, accompanied by an excited roar from the crowd. Yeonjun is dead center, a common and comfortable placement, in the formation. Back then, his hair was dyed pitch black and he was significantly more toned (due to never ending practice). Somehow he looks more familiar than the Yeonjun he sees in the mirror now.

He can tell that his younger self was in full performance mode, each little movement from the tilt of his head to the small rocks of his body done for his audience. And they ate up every bit of it, chanting and cheering his name as the formation broke away for the first move of the dance. It’s a bit of an out of body experience, to actually watch the way that the beats seemed to have complete control of his body; sometimes Yeonjun thinks they did. 

He can’t tear his eyes away from the transitions, the formations, his form, the crowd, from the entire thing basically. The video is only three minutes long, but it feels much much longer. It isn’t until Taehyun reaches out and pokes at the pause button that Yeonjun loses his tunnel vision. “Hyung, this guy has been searching for you like crazy. All because he saw this video and, out of everyone there, wanted to recruit _you_.” Taehyun is grinning so wide, wider than Yeonjun has ever seen before, “This is a dream come true!”

It is, isn’t it? Yeonjun had always grown up dancing. His mom went out of her way to get him in classes young, effectively keeping him out of the streets and allowing her to work without worrying about where he was. He’d attempted every popular dance style and thoroughly enjoyed his time with each one, but hip hop had a special hold on him. His body responded to the music with an ease that didn’t accompany any of the other genres he tried. Throughout middle school, he would dance with the local community’s dance team for neighborhood shows. When his mom heard about a new performance art school opening down the street from her job, she registered him without a second thought. High school Yeonjun had his heart set on being a professional dancer, hadn’t ever considered anything else despite knowing the odds of becoming famous. He just wanted to dance. He’d spend hours watching audition tapes, learning routines until his heels blistered, researching countless companies. Yeonjun breathed, ate and slept dance like it would get away. Maybe that’s why one day it did.

The summer of Yeonjun’s senior year, his mom slipped at the hospital and winded up fracturing her ankle. She was out of work for six weeks which meant Yeonjun had to get a job, and fast, if they were going to have a roof over their heads. Slowly his practice times were cut back to accommodate his work schedule until there was none left. By the time college applications came, Yeonjun had already encountered the reality that was life, the unpredictable nature that can change circumstances in the blink of an eye. He couldn’t _just_ dance, couldn’t live his life gig to gig. It wouldn’t be enough to keep both his mom and him afloat, not without sacrificing peace of mind. He needed a real job, a real career, something stable. 

So Yeonjun avoided liberal arts colleges like they were the plague. He only filled out applications for schools that had zoology (which was only a small handful) since he decided that if he was no longer going to pursue dance, he might as well choose a career he’d like. He sealed away his dreams to be a professional dancer and buried the want deep inside. He quit dancing the moment he graduated high school and never looked back.

High school Yeonjun probably wouldn’t recognize college Yeonjun; College Yeonjun couldn’t blame him. Because, now, the opportunity to seize a dream that had been a long shot is within reach and yet Yeonjun can’t bring himself to smile, can’t allow himself to succumb to anything close to that sentence. “... Who’s dream?” he whispers to the still screen younger Yeonjun, “Who’s dream is it?”

Taehyun snags his phone back, still smiling, oblivious to the war being waged inside of his friend, “Yours, hyung. You made it!”

Before Yeonjun can reply, the recruiter is back in front of him, “My company is in the process of recruiting new solo artists and your dancing is _exactly_ what we’re looking for. Look, you won’t have to worry about anything; we’ll take care of your training costs.” The recruiter must take Yeonjun’s silence as a challenge, “All you have to do is commit to working at least 30 hours a week. You’ll see your first compensation after your successful debut in about a year’s time. How does that sound?”

30 hours a week?

There’s no way Yeonjun could still work at North Face, attend his classes and work at this agency 30 hours a week. Especially not for free. Maybe he would’ve given it a chance, back when his mom didn’t need him, back when only his life was on the table.

But it’s not anymore.

Yeonjun takes a deep breath, gathering his thoughts and constructing a denial that makes his chest ache. “I’m sorry, but I think there must have been a misunderstanding,” Yeonjun flashes the recruiter a small, shaky smile, “I no longer dance.” He uses two hands to return the business card given to him, “Thank you for the offer though.”

The recruiter frowns down at the cardstock between them then asks, “Has another company gotten in touch with you?”

“No, I-”

“Is it about the compensation? Because I can arrange a meeting with my supervisor.”

Yeonjun is no fool. He knows how long it takes for an average idol to receive their first paycheck. He knows how long it takes for them to train. He needs money sooner rather than later. “No need. Thank you-”

“If you show promise in the first six months of your training, I can expedite your first paycheck,” the man sounds desperate at this point, but Yeonjun is already shaking his head.

Yeonjun’s smile grows tight, agitation flaring, “Sir, I apologize for having wasted your time and efforts-”

“One month! If you show promise in just one month, I can expedite your first paycheck.” Yeonjun’s mouth opens to protest when the recruiter blurts, “I can do a signing bonus! $20,000!”

Yeonjun’s hands lower to his sides, card still in his grasp, “... $20,0000?”

“Yes, yes! Just commit to us and I’ll get it to you the day you sign the contract. No strings attached.”

Yeonjun blinks, completely blindsided by the new offer, as Taehyun suddenly swoops in, “Can you give us a moment to deliberate?” Though the recruiter seems hesitant, Taehyun hops down on Yeonjun’s side of the counter and leads him across the store. They stop at the shoe display and he pushes Yeonjun down onto a bench, stooping down until he’s in Yeonjun’s line of vision. He’s quiet for a long while, looking every bit of dazed that Yeonjun feels, “... You’re gonna be so fucking rich, hyung.”

“He said $20,000, Hyun! I can- I can-” Yeonjun can barely speak, literally buzzing with happiness, “I can pay off some of my mom’s bills!”

Taehyun smiles hard, eyes turning into crescents, “I can’t believe it. You’re gonna be an idol!”

They erupt into a fit of giggles, clapping and squealing. They calm down after a few moments and Yeonjun fishes his own phone out of his pocket. He scrolls to his notes app, pulling up his most recent entry and reading the number, “Okay, right now it’s $48,000. That would mean I only owe $28,000 after that.” The weight on Yeonjun’s shoulders feels significantly lighter, “Should I take it?”

“I- I don’t know,” Taehyun answers honestly, “We should ask someone that knows this business.”

Yeonjun chews his bottom lip, saying, “... Kai?” at the same time that Taehyun blurts, “Soobin!”

“Soobin?”

“He recruits people all the time! He can tell you what a fair price is! Call him!”

“Right, right, okay, alright,” Yeonjun mutters, fingers tapping vigorously until they pull up Soobin’s contact. He doesn’t give himself time to think about how he’s been unsuccessfully avoiding the chaebol all this week or how this brief contact might further ruin his determination to stay away. He clicks the phone button and waits with bated breath.

It barely rings once before a deep voice asks, “Yeonjun hyung? Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Yeonjun breathes, “yes, yes, everything is- everything is great. Can I ask you a question?”

“Uh,” there’s some shuffling and then the sound of a door closing, “Yeah, what’s up?”

“So, um, there’s a recruiter-”

“What?” The chaebol sounds just as shocked as Yeonjun felt, “With what company?”

“Pledis-” 

“What’s their name?”

Yeonjun remembers the business card, now crumpled in his hand, “Jung Kiwon.”

“And what did he say?” Yeonjun can make out the sound of rapid typing in the background.

“He said that they’re looking for new solo artists and that they’d pay for my training-”

“How much did he offer?” Soobin cuts Yeonjun off yet again and the senior feels a spark of irritation arise in him.

“He didn’t really give an exact number. But he said he would expedite my paycheck to the first month and give me a $20,000 bonus!”

Yeonjun expects Soobin to be as excited as he is so when a scoff comes through the line, it makes Yeonjun stiffen, “That’s it? What about their employee benefits?”

“... He didn’t say.”

“Will they cover travel? Wardrobe? Makeup?” Soobin demands, sounding... angry?

“I-”

“When will you debut? How much per show? Are they planning on concerts?” Yeonjun can’t even get a word in before Soobin continues, “Do they cover your health insurance? What are your restrictions? What about school?”

“I... I don’t know,” Yeonjun whispers into the line. He feels Taheyun lean in, trying to eavesdrop, but can’t muster any anger to push him away. “I didn’t ask.”

“Is he still there?”

“Yes.”

“Tell him to shove that offer up his ass.” The furious typing in the background finally stops as Soobin explains, “Their company hasn’t had a successful idol since their founding in the early 2000s. They can’t even guarantee that they can get you on a show, let alone pay you.” 

Yeonjun curls inward, voice shaking despite his best efforts, “Ah... Okay... That was it.” He stares down at the creased business card, wondering how a piece of cardstock can cause this kind of hurt. “... Thank you, Soobin-ah.” The chaebol had brought Yeonjun back to reality, back down from the clouds. The landing was more painful than when he'd been grounded in the first place. “I’m glad I called you.”

The line is quiet for a moment and then, “Join Big Hit.”

“What?”

“We’ll cover your training, living and travel costs. You’ll have a personal stylist, makeup artist and custom wardrobe,” Soobin says, speaking faster than Yeonjun has ever heard the chaebol speak before, “You’ll have a choreographer who will work with you to polish your skills and a dietitian to make sure you eat well. You can finish off your school year and then work full time with us. You’ll have paid vacation time, health insurance, and a retirement fund. Your first paycheck comes the month you start working with us. And your signing bonus: any amount you want.” Yeonjun blinks, eyes wide, and beside him Taehyun starts to wiggle in his seat. “I don’t expect an answer right away. I’ll get the team to make a contract and we can sit down to discuss the details-”

“$48,000,” the number bursts out of Yeonjun, chest tight, “Can you do $48,000?”

“That's all?”

Taehyun jumps to his feet, getting into Yeonjun’s line of sight and motions upwards with his thumb. “Actually, make that... $50-” Taehyun’s thumb hikes upwards again. “$55-” And again. "$60,000?” Taehyun nods vigorously. “Can you do $60,000?”

Soobin hums thoughtfully, “That sounds reasonable.” Yeonjun nearly faints. “I’ll get this all in writing for you. Do you want me to hand deliver the contract so you can review it alone or would you like to come to the headquarters to review it with our legal team?”

“Headquarters,” Yeonjun manages to choke out, wide eyes watching as Taehyun does a victory dance.

“I’ll set up a meeting on Thursday since I know that’s usually your free day. If you choose to sign that day, we can get you the bonus within a week, otherwise we’ll have to wait until after the holidays. Is that alright?” 

“Y-yes!” Yeonjun squeaks excitedly. It’s Sunday which means he has four days to find a suit and some nice enough shoes. “That’s perfect.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll start on this right away. Thank you for considering-”

“No, thank _you_ for considering me,” Yeonjun smiles, hard enough that he can barely make out Taehyun’s figure and his cheeks ache.

There’s a short pause, a cough, and Yeonjun can tell Soobin is smiling too when he says, “I’ll speak with you soon, hyung. Have a good day at work.”

“You too, Bin-ah.”

The moment Yeonjun hangs up, Taehyun engulfs him in a hug, “You did it, hyung! You got an offer from the biggest fucking company in the kpop industry!” 

“I did it,” Yeonjun echoes, tears racing down his cheeks as he clings onto Taehyun’s muscled frame, “I really did it.”


	13. space

Soobin isn't sure what's more endearing: Yeonjun’s attempt at keeping his mouth from hanging open whenever he sees a new part of the building or the fact that he keeps bowing at every person they pass on their walk. "Almost there," Soobin assures the senior, gently guiding him along by his elbow. 

"I didn't know that Big Hit owned this whole building," Yeonjun whispers, eyes sweeping from wall to wall, trying to take in all the details of the rooms they pass. 

Soobin thinks back to the first time he toured the headquarters of an agency. He must have been seven or so, young enough that it was acceptable to race around the building in Naruto fashion while his dad explained all of the fancy gadgets and meeting rooms with a proud smile. At some point, maybe during his awkward transition into high school, the shock and excitement of it all wore off; it became normal. "Yeah, most agencies rent two or three floors, but my dad acquired a few more companies under the Big Hit label so we bought out the entire property." When they finally reach the last set of elevators towards the back of the complex, Soobin places his badge on the scanner beside the doors. The elevator chimes when it opens and Soobin has to pull a wide-eyed Yeonjun in with him. “He says it’s to make sure that the idols are the focus, not who has what space rented and when.”

The senior laces their fingers together without any of the chaebol’s prompting, admiring the glass paneling and rainbow buttons of the elevator, "That's nice. Companies are usually trash at treating their idols well though."

"I won't say that we don't make bad calls sometimes," Soobin admits, clicking the top floor button and trying to subdue the giddiness that surges through him from the skinship, "But we try our best to do the right thing in the end because that's all that fans and idols really want."

When the elevator reaches their destination floor, the two men enter the small marble waiting room attached to the corporate offices. The front desk is empty, the usual attendant likely taking his lunch, so Soobin scans his badge again, gesturing for Yeonjun to walk first through the now unlocked entryway. "What's this part?" Yeonjun inquires, gaze skimming over the engraved name plaques on the doors lining the hall.

"This is where the CEO, CTO, CFO, COO’s-” he catches the way Yeonjun’s brow creases in the middle and quickly clarifies, “the chief officers have offices here. They’re the people who decide on how finances are distributed in the company.”

“Is it always this quiet?”

“No, it's normally packed, but lunch hours are pretty dead." They walk at a leisurely pace, Soobin’s thumb caressing the back of Yeonjun’s hand, grateful to have such a private moment before a meeting as big as this. He glances to his left, shamelessly checking the senior out for the umpteenth time since he’s stepped foot in the building. His suit is simple, black and fitted, with a single knotted tie and shiny leather loafers. His neon yellow hair is tucked into a black beret, bringing much-deserved attention to his stark eyebrows and feline eyes. He doesn’t fully give in to the urge to flirt upon noticing the way Yeonjun rubs his lips together, "Are you ready?"

Yeonjun doesn’t look away from the double doors of the conference room at the end of the hall when he responds, "As ready as I’m gonna be."

“They’re gonna love you,” Soobin insists, a conversation with Beomgyu the day prior pushing into the forefront of his thoughts.

“You’re an idiot,” Beomgyu adjusted his headband even further back over his bangs, wiping the sweat off of his brow. He had begged Soobin to take him to the practice studio today and somehow tricked Soobin into learning a joint piece by some famous French choreographer. As Soobin panted against the mirror, he made a mental note to never do it again. 

“Go off I guess,” Soobin grappled for his water bottle, collapsing onto his butt.

But Beomgyu wasn’t done, “No, a dumbass is the proper term.”

“Okay, I don’t think this is _that_ bad of an idea.”

“That’s because you won’t even take your head out of his ass long enough to _think_ -”

“-Don’t talk about his ass!-”

“I know that I told you to have fun once you got to Seoul, hyung," Beomgyu interrupted his best friend’s scolding, dramatically sighing, "but I didn’t expect you to be this dumb about it.”

"What's dumb about this?"

“Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“Y’know, I really hate when you-”

"For one, there are pictures of you two everywhere."

“I’m aware.” It was a new worry, one that Soobin hadn't experienced before: being afraid that the media could find out what he was really up to. After the disaster of a social media debrief a month ago, finding a way to keep his image afloat without having to stay away from the very person that had the potential of tainting it basically consumed Soobin’s every waking thought. It was exhausting in the worst way possible. “But, there’s only, like, five,” which was mostly true. Hanuel had already shut down all the accounts that posted the photos from that day at Lotte World and the pictures leaked from the day at the busking corner were dealt with. “And the board doesn’t even know it was him in those pictures.” Beomgyu made an unconvinced face. “They only saw the back of his head! There’s no way they can connect him with the pictures.”

“And what about the pictures from this morning?”

Soobin had discovered a rather unnerving thread in one of his most active follower’s tweets that morning. It was an innocent picture at first glance, one of his routine fan photo ops, with a dramatic caption. But, upon further inspection of the thread, more snapshots of their date at the busking corner appeared. One of their hands intertwined, of him guiding Yeonjun through the crowd, of them in line at the food stall, far too close for an ordinary fan interaction. Soobin didn’t think anyone had noticed them, had thought he’d done well enough at staying hidden. But this thread and the many replies that were forming beneath it was proof that he was very, very wrong. 

“They haven’t seen them. Only Haneul and I know about them,” Soobin answered after a lengthy beat passed.

By the grace of whatever deity existed, both Yeonjun and Soobin’s faces were obscured in each blurred shot and the chaebol was able to convince Hanuel not to inform his father this time around. Within a few hours, they shut down the fan account that created the thread and bought the pictures from the original owners. The offending photos now sit compiled into a zip file on Hanuel’s hard drive for safekeeping. However, despite Big Hit's quick intervention, some of Soobin’s followers continued to speculate about the mystery man in the photos, wondering if he was the same man from Lotte World. 

Soobin frantically reported and blocked those posts from his searches whenever he found them. He used a few bots to boost the posts that claimed that the pictures were of a lookalike rather than the chaebol himself. He had things completely under control... Okay, maybe not _completely_ , but who needs to know?

“And she doesn’t come to the trainee approval meetings so no one knows what he looks like except for me,” Soobin added for good measure.

“What if your dad recognizes him?”

“He won’t.”

"Your dad is totally going to recognize him."

“He won’t."

“Dude, he has eagle eyes! Remember that time I was trying to sneak out of your house and your dad didn’t even turn around when he asked me why I was crawling on the floor?”

How could Soobin not? It was hilarious and terrifying at the same time. His father has always had a crazy sixth sense; it’s like he knows what’s going on around him without anyone having to say anything. It’s hard to fool him if he has any doubts to begin with; but, in this case, his father doesn’t. There’s no way he can possibly know who Yeonjun is. "That was different! You hit your big ass head against the wall and he-”

“-My head is not big!-”

“Gyuuuuu," Soobin whined, “Can't you just be happy for me? You’re making me regret telling you about any of this stuff.”

"Hyung, I want to be happy for you-"

"Then do it!"

Beomgyu groaned, long and drawn out, "But this is too risky for me to be happy! You’ve never pitched a trainee before! Don’t you think the selection committee will be suspicious about your motives? About him?"

Of course Soobin did. It was the reason he had been working on his pitch for Yeonjun since he’d extended the job offer to the senior. It had to be perfect or else they would both face scrutiny. “I’ll figure it out if they are,” he muttered, irritated by the unnecessary reminder of the stress he’d put on himself.

“Why are you doing all of this?”

“He’s cute,” Soobin said automatically. 

“And?”

“That’s all.”

Beomgyu scoffed, eyes rolling, “You work in the entertainment industry: there are cute guys around you all the time. There has to be some reason why you’re talking to him.”

“It’s just,” Soobin hesitated, unable to voice an explanation he didn’t even understand himself, “... fun.”

Beomgyu cocked a brow, dark eyes cloudy with confusion, "Fun?" he gestured to the screenshotted Twitter thread on his phone screen, unperturbed by the glare from Soobin, “Is this what you’re calling fun?”

“You’re so annoying.”

“Are you guys,” Beomgyu paused, dramatically looking left and right even though they’re all alone before whispering obnoxiously, “hooking up?”

“What!? No, we’re not!”

“You so are!”

“We are not!”

“His stroke game must be _insane_ -”

“Oh my fucking- shut up! He barely holds my hand,” Soobin flushed pink, swatting at his best friend’s shoulder once, “We haven’t even slept in the same bed before!” then twice when Beomgyu’s eyebrows wiggled suggestively, “Stop making that face!”

“I’m just saying this doesn’t look like-”

Soobin didn't need a reminder of the damage done, “I know what it looks like, Beomgyu. I’m telling you it's _not_ like that.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Soobin hyung," Beomgyu snapped, moving into the other chaebol’s line of sight, “You never vouch for people like this. He _has_ to be giving you something!”

Soobin comes back to the present when Yeonjun squeezes his palm then blurts an apology, “Sorry, can we- I need one second. I- I’m kind of nervous.” 

Yeonjun tries to tug his hand out of Soobin’s grasp, but Soobin gently resists, “I know you’ll do well.” He makes sure that Yeonjun can see the sincerity in his eyes, patiently waiting until Yeonjun’s shoulders lower from his ears. Then the chaebol releases Yeonjun’s hand and smoothes down the lapels of his suit jacket, “Just be yourself.” The advice is similar to what the senior had told him months prior when he first auditioned to be MC. He hopes it is just as encouraging as it felt the first time he’d heard it. Once Yeonjun’s tie is centered and no wrinkles are apparent on his suit, Soobin checks in again, “Ready?”

Yeonjun nods slowly, likely combating nerves and anxieties in his head; Soobin wishes he could take them away. “Yes,” Yeonjun breathes, “Thank you for...”

Soobin just smiles, hoping Yeonjun understands that he doesn’t have to finish. Yeonjun takes a step back, returning a grateful smile of his own and turning to face the doors in preparation. Soobin schools his expression into one he hasn’t used around Yeonjun before, one that makes him worry for a second too long about if this will change the way Yeonjun sees him. But he doesn’t let the panic set in, twisting the gilded handles of the french doors and swinging them open.

The conference room is standard with a rectangle table in the middle, floor to ceiling windows to the left and right sides of the room, a presentation screen on the wall opposite of the entrance, and large black swivel chairs. Every seat is filled except for two closest to the door, directly across from Soobin's father and the CFO. The room falls quiet as each chief officer turns to take in the potential trainee and chaebol. Some of their brows hike upwards at Soobin’s presence, probably expecting a recruiter to be in his place, and he tries to ignore his heart pounding in his ears when he closes the doors after them.

"Good afternoon. It is an honor to be here," Yeonjun bows deeply, Soobin following his lead, "I am grateful to have your time today."

"What's your name?" the CFO asks, the file with Yeonjun's information sitting in front of him unopened. 

Soobin bites his tongue as Yeonjun supplies, "Choi Yeonjun, sir."

"Another Choi," the CTO chimes with a slight smirk, "That’s promising."

"You can go ahead and take a seat, Yeonjun-ssi," Soobin's father gestures to the chair across from him. Yeonjun obeys while Soobin remains standing, reigning his nerves in for the senior’s sake. He can’t mess this up. "This meeting will begin with us watching your audition video, discussing your current endeavors, and then going over the terms of your contract. Consider this part one in your hiring stage. If you pass this with majority votes in your favor, then we will send you to Son Sung Deuk," the choreographer gives a friendly smile and waves, "who will put you along with other trainees through a handful of assessments. His approval is the last step for you to officially become a Big Hit trainee. How does that sound?"

"That sounds fair," Yeonjun answers and a few of the chief officers nod approvingly.

"Let's begin," Soobin's father agrees then glances at Soobin, "The audition tape, please."

"Of course,” Soobin moves to the podium set beside the flat-screen, taking his time on the walk there, “This tape was taken during Yeonjun-ssi's high school career. He specializes in hip hop and street dancing, which is highlighted in-”

“How old are you now?” the CFO stares at Yeonjun with beady eyes, head cocked to the side.

“21. I am about to graduate college, sir.”

“So this video is at least,” the CFO counts on his fingers, “four or five years old?” Yeonjun nods slowly, expression perfectly neutral. “Hm. Quite a lot can happen in that time.” The older man flicks his wrist towards Soobin, “Go ahead.”

“... Ahem,” Soobin clears his throat, starting his pitch again, “As I was saying, Yeonjun-ssi specializes in hip hop and street dancing, which is highlighted in this cover dance to Jumpman by Drake. He is center-” 

“I meant to play the video, Soobin-ssi,” the CFO interrupts the chaebol for the second time.

“Oh. One moment please,” Soobin wills his trembling fingers to click the right file in the recruiting database, teeth catching his top lip. The correct thumbnail appears full-sized, much to Soobin’s relief, and the chief officers wait expectantly for the video to load. As it starts, the chaebol adjusts the volume, and high school Yeonjun comes to life on the screen. Every few seconds Soobin looks away from the tape, watching as each officer scribbles something onto the files in front of them. He prays that they’re good things.

“That’s enough,” Son Sung Deuk, Big Hit’s main choreographer, lifts his hand and Soobin pauses the clip, “Yeonjun-ssi, how long has it been since you’ve danced?”

“I’d say a month ago.”

“Alone or with a group?”

“It was a solo freestyle performance,” Soobin hates the way that Yeonjun wrings his hands in his lap.

"Was it recorded?"

"No, sir." Multiple officers mark something onto the file in front of them; Soobin's father frowns.

“Do you freestyle often?”

“Yes, sir,” Yeonjun responds then his mouth opens and closes and opens again, “I also create choreography.”

“Ah, so was that an original routine?” Sung Deuk gestures to the screen.

“Yes, sir. I created it with the co-captain of the team.”

More writing commences and then the CTO inquires, “How are you with social media? Do you have a presence?”

“No, ma’am, I’ve been quite focused on my studies these years. Although I don't have a presence now, I’m a quick learner and am positive I could make one.” 

The confidence makes the CTO sport a pleased expression, “Are you still in school?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“One semester left?” Soobin’s father interjects.

Yeonjun shakes his head, “This is my last semester.”

His father purses his lips, flicking through the pages of Yeonjun’s file, “... I don’t see any dance organizations or performances listed on your file. You no longer do covers?”

“No, sir.”

His father closes the file, “Then why did you perform recently?”

“The junior that took my position in my high school dance club asked for a performance.”

“Is that when you first saw him?” his father’s eyes cut to the chaebol.

Surprised to be the subject of the conversation so suddenly, Soobin's answer comes delayed, “Yes. It was.”

“Are you sure?”

Soobin narrows his gaze, “Yes. I am.”

“And you didn’t record the performance? Even though you thought he had potential?”

“... I did not.”

There’s a silent moment where Soobin feels like his heart constricts. He wants to defend himself, wants to say he was too busy admiring the man in question to remember that phones existed, that he couldn’t have cared less about recording anything for anyone else to see. But it’s too exposing, too frightening to say aloud. He instead watches as his father regards Yeonjun with an unimpressed tone, “So, in other words, you have no recent videos to show your current skills?”

“... That would be correct, sir,” Yeonjun’s hands have gone pink from his incessant rubbing.

Soobin speaks up immediately, “That’s what the choreography assessment is for, isn’t it?” His father seems taken aback, eyebrows raised in surprise. “The audition tape shows the clear potential that Yeonjun-ssi possesses without any prior formal training. It is easy to imagine-”

“Can a company run on imagination, Soobin-ssi?” his father counters, attempting nonchalance, but Soobin can tell from his clipped tone that he’s not happy about his intervention in Yeonjun’s interview.

Soobin doesn’t back down though, “Yes. It can.” The other chief officers in the room bristle. “Without imagination, there is no space for what the future can become. If a company only lives in the reality of now, they die off.” Soobin’s mother would be swatting at Soobin’s shoulders if she was still around. She always hated whenever Soobin would accept his father’s invitations to argue. It’s the only reason Soobin decides to add, “It’s a lesson you’ve taught me well.”

The room is quiet for a long moment, long enough for Soobin to read his father’s eyes, to understand that his father is registering Soobin’s defiance and searching for its origin. His father’s attention flickers between him and Yeonjun before he lowly replies, “Not well enough. Yeonjun-ssi?” The college senior squares his shoulders upon being addressed. “You’ve asked for $60,000 as a signing bonus. Why?”

“Well, I have a personal matter that requires financial support in order for me to fully focus on-”

“A personal matter that calls for $60,000 without any promise of talent?”

Yeonjun’s jaw clenches, “Yes, sir.”

“And what is that personal matter?”

Soobin’s mouth opens to remind his father that it’s none of their business, but Yeonjun is already answering, “My mom has breast cancer.” Soobin’s father visibly stills. “Stage three to be exact. I want to pay for her bills properly so she can focus on recovery and then I can focus on my career. She is, and always will be, my first priority.”

The silence that ensues is suffocating, squeezing Soobin’s nerves and lungs simultaneously. He desperately wants to reprimand his father for asking such a private question in such a public meeting. He also wants to gather Yeonjun in his arms and comfort him for feeling forced to share his personal concerns with a group of stuck up strangers. But neither of those are acceptable actions right now; he just stands, continuing to play his role of the recruiter with no attachment to his talent. It only makes his blood boil more.

His father suddenly bows his head, “... I’m sorry to hear about your mother. We wish her strength and health. I-” his breath hitches, and Soobin knows that the wound is still fresh for his father. No one fills the space as his father’s lips remain partially open; Soobin can picture his tug of war of thoughts. He’s probably thinking of her too. Eventually, his father speaks, “I know that it must be difficult to... to continue moving on with something so detrimental taking place.”

“Thank you. I’m sure she will appreciate the support.”

When Soobin’s father looks up again, he addresses the entire room, “All in favor is pushing Yeonjun-ssi into phase two of recruitment, raise your hand on three. One, two, three.” Soobin counts seven hands in the air, noting that the CFO, COO, and his father keep theirs down. “Majority has spoken. Congratulations, Yeonjun-ssi, you are moving into step two of our hiring process.”

Yeonjun jumps to his feet, but Soobin can’t tear his eyes away from his father. “Thank you so much for this opportunity! I will do my best to impress you!” The senior shakes hands with each of the officers, reaching Soobin’s father last. He grasps his father's hand with both of his own, shaking vigorously, “You won’t regret this decision!”

His father shoots his polite camera smile at Yeonjun then turns, meeting Soobin’s gaze with a knowing squint, “Let’s hope I don’t.” His attention shifts back to Yeonjun as he says, “Soobin mentioned that you wanted to review the contract with the legal team. I’ll have my assistant escort you to their office-”

“No need, I will-”

“Nonsense. Jessie, take Yeonjun-ssi to the legal team’s office.” 

Soobin bites on his inner cheek, nostrils flaring, as his father’s assistant steps off of her position against the wall, strawberry blonde hair flipping over her shoulder. “Follow me, sir,” she kindly tells Yeonjun who nods excitedly, falling into step and exiting the conference room with her. The other chief officers file out immediately after, picking up on the tension in the room, leaving the father and son alone.

“Soobin. I’m going to ask this once and only once. Answer me honestly... Is that boy the same boy from Lotte World?”

Beomgyu was right. 

Holy shit, _Beomgyu_ was right. His father, his stupidly attentive and overly analytical father, actually recognized Yeonjun after only seeing half blurred, back of the head photos.

Soobin almost laughs, pure disbelief and confusion bubbling at the surface, but he keeps his face neutral, eyes tracing over his father's furrowed brow. He wonders at what point his father figured it out. 

Was it the moment Yeonjun stepped in the room?

Was it when Soobin interrupted his father’s line of questioning? 

Or was it when Soobin placed Yeonjun’s file on his desk in the first place?

Had he just been playing along with this interview to humor Soobin? To verify his assumption?

They’re useless questions, questions that only make him overthink and stress and anxious, questions that he forces onto the back burner. Right now, he needs to figure out a response that causes the least amount of damage to Yeonjun.

Soobin leaves his position by the podium, walking over to the skyline view and choosing a random building to focus on, “Why are you bringing him up? I thought we were done talking about-”

“Soobin.” The chaebol goes quiet, eyes fluttering close. “Answer the question.”

“... If I say yes, what’s going to happen?”

“I’m terminating his contract and blacklisting him. Immediately.”

“Even after you heard about his mom?" Soobin sounds as disgusted as he feels, "I knew you were heartless when you didn’t even bother to go to mom’s chemo appointments, but-”

“Don’t you _dare_ bring her into this.”

“Don’t you feel the least bit of guilt!? You’re going to ruin his chances with other companies for what!? Would it kill you to be nice for once-”

“I am not some sort of charity, Soobin,” his father gruffly snaps, voice raising, “I invest in things and people that promise me a return on investment.”

“What if they don’t?” Soobin whispers, an inner thought that has been circulating in his own mind for some time, “What if they can’t promise a return?”

“Then I don’t invest.”

Soobin thinks about what his life would currently be like if he hadn’t invested in Yeonjun. Sure, it would be full of fun and action and the things that all chaebols dream of: cars, cash, reckless nights, parties, drinks, drugs. It would consist of nightly scandals, huge fights, and crazy raves. It would be a life fit for the stars. A life Soobin had been living his entire existence thus far.

Then Yeonjun, the blushing, nervous college senior with cat eyes and a sharp tongue, appeared. Suddenly Soobin’s life became full of nights where he would thumb at his Nintendo Switch, pretending not to watch while Yeonjun read through his textbooks meticulously for hours on end. Soon followed by days where Soobin would ask question after question until Yeonjun threw things at him to shut up or turned so red that Kai, Taehyun, and Soobin would awe at obnoxious intervals. The next thing Soobin knew, each weekend party was replaced with a movie night where he was in charge of bringing wine and he would use the excuse of being tipsy to lean on Yeonjun’s shoulder and feel his body shake with the older’s hideous laughter. He fell into routine weekdays that included ‘friendly hangouts’ (that Yeonjun insists aren’t equivalent to dates) and weeknights where Soobin was content with just being beside the older when he was working.

Did Soobin sometimes miss his old life? 

Of course. He’s only human after all.

But he gained so much more happiness, so much more satisfaction, so much more... love. Soobin thinks he’s grown more in these past six months than all 19 years combined. 

All because he invested in someone who couldn’t promise a return.

Soobin asks, eyes still shut, “What about me?”

“What do you mean?”

“What's going to happen to me?”

“What kind of question is that? Nothing.”

Another lesson Soobin has learned recently is that the rich lose so little whenever they take a risky investment. They lose cash they would’ve spent otherwise, lose time that they don’t care about. It’s just a bump in their road.

But, in reality, that is a bump in the road is a sinking hole for others.

Yeonjun also invested in Soobin. He trusted Soobin with his inner thoughts, with his pain, with his fears, with his dreams. He gave up his precious time and space and food and... he took a chance with Soobin. He gambled so much by just allowing Soobin into his world. And Soobin is not going to make him regret his investment.

“Then no,” Soobin now glares at his father’s reflection in the glass, “He’s not.” His father scoffs, eyes searching for something Soobin doesn’t allow him to find. “He’s just a guy I found at a busking corner that looked like he could be the next big thing.”

“... And if he turns out to be a bust?”

Soobin shrugs, “Then he can be a backup dancer for one of our other artists.”

“And if he gets fired?”

Soobin’s jaw flexes defiantly, “He won’t.”

“... Soobin, that boy is going to cause you trouble if you keep putting your neck on the line for him,” his father remarks, voice strained.

Soobin turns on his heels, flashing his father a rehearsed corporate smile, “As a recruiter, I’m pretty sure I have a good eye for talent. I doubt I’ll have to do it again. Thank you for your concern.” His father doesn’t respond, teeth gritted, and Soobin takes that as his cue to exit. “I have to film for Music Bank and I haven’t had a chance to eat lunch yet so pardon me.”

He walks briskly, trying not to seem rushed, but his father’s words still reach him on the way out, “Mixing feelings and work will only lead to a downfall in the company. Don’t let it be yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this out before the semester hit me like a dump truck :") thank you for the overwhelming support and love on this book! it makes my day whenever I read through the comments and bookmark names hehe. stay healthy and wash your hands everyone!


	14. o

“I told you not to pick me up!” Yeonjun whines when he spots Soobin walking into North Face with car keys twirling on his finger. He looks warm, bundled up in a red puffer coat that cinches at his waist (which Yeonjun totally doesn’t notice- nope, he just swallows his pooling spit) and a thick black scarf that hangs loosely. As Soobin closes the distance between them, Yeonjun has to resist the urge to reach over the counter and wrap the black scarf properly around the chaebol’s neck.

“Well, surprise,” Soobin does jazz hands, keys jingling, and Yeonjun’s lip catches between his teeth to fight a smile, “I am.”

Soobin found out that Yeonjun took the bus to work instead of catching a ride from Kai’s sweet personal assistant sometime last week. _How_ the chaebol obtained this information, Yeonjun has no idea. But it wasn’t that big of a deal; Jin has enough to worry about with Kai alone and Yeonjun has been using the bus system since he was a kid. However, since Yeonjun is now an official Big Hit trainee, the chaebol swears that it is only right that he picks the senior up from work. (“The CTO would kill me if she found out that you were using public transport!”) 

Yeonjun tries to deny the chaebol’s help like hell, especially on weekdays where he knows Soobin works himself. It’s the reason Yeonjun gripes even now, “I told you that I don’t like surprises.”

“Hm,” Soobin pretends to consider the statement, “I don’t remember hearing that.”

“Of course you don’t,” Yeonjun rolls his eyes, “I was going to catch the bus-”

“And now you don’t have to,” Soobin flashes a smile that drains the senior of all his fight, “Now get your coat.”

Yeonjun just huffs, grabbing his faded black hoodie from beneath the counter of the register while Taehyun continues to tap on the screen of the register, “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day that Yeonjun hyung didn’t have a comeback.”

Yeonjun tugs his jacket over his head, voice muffled by the fabric, “Go choke.”

“Y'know, hyung, this reminds me of a few past conversations we have had about a certain someone. Didn't you say you wanted to choke on-" Yeonjun yanks at the hem of his jacket desperately, mind swimming with all of the comments he has ever made regarding the chaebol that Taehyun could use for blackmail, and nearly dies trying to free himself until Taehyun sighs, "- ah, the name must have slipped my mind. Guess I'll have to let it go _this_ time.”

Yeonjun’s head finally pops through the hole of his hoodie, eyes narrowed on his coworker, “Have I ever told you that you're a little shit?” 

“Once or twice,” Taehyun replies with a straight face, though the lifted corners of his lips show that he is more than aware.

Yeonjun grabs his backpack from beneath the counter, snapping when he notices Soobin quietly cackling, “And what are _you_ laughing about?”

Soobin fails miserably to rope in his laughter, “Nothing! Are you ready?”

Yeonjun sets a ring of keys beside Taehyun before pulling his hood over his head, “Yeah. Don’t forget to lock up The Pit after we’re out." Taehyun gives a thumbs up in response. “Alright, we can go now.”

“Where’s your coat?” Soobin’s eyes flicker from Yeonjun’s worn-out hoodie to his face.

“I’m wearing it,” Yeonjun leads them in the direction of The Pit. Soobin started parking in the back lot now to avoid the crowds and potentially lurking eyes, a new concern that Yeonjun hadn't experienced previously. It was something the chaebol explained took some getting used to but eventually looking over his shoulder will become second nature to Yeonjun. 

“No, like a proper coat,” Soobin stresses as Yeonjun shoves open the creaky metal door of The Pit. The younger man follows closely behind, gently holding onto the sleeve of Yeonjun's hoodie as they navigate through the mess of boxes in the storage room. 

When they reach the exit, Yeonjun has to leverage all of his weight to get the door free, resulting in a face full of frigid, unforgiving wind. “This _is_ my proper coat,” Yeonjun tugs the chaebol into a jog, “Now hurry up!”

Soobin unlocks the doors of his car once they’re in the parking lot, clicking another button on the remote to make the car start. He dives into the driver’s seat, closing the air vents, and quickly lowering the doors once Yeonjun settles into the passenger seat beside him. 

“Shit,” Yeonjun shivers, rubbing frantically at his upper arms to generate some kind of warmth, “It’s freezing outside.”

“You’re cold because that isn’t a proper jacket,” Soobin complains, pressing random buttons on his dashboard, “You work at a store that sells-” A shrill ringtone interrupts Soobin rant before it can even begin. He shoots a pointed look at Yeonjun, as if to say he isn’t done, then swipes to answer his phone, “Jimin hyung?”

“I’m going to pretend like you didn’t forget that you had a hair appointment scheduled for tonight. You better be in my chair in the next 20 minutes or else-”

“-But, hyung, I’m with-”

“-Aht, I don’t care. 20 minutes. Be here. Alive, preferably, so drive safe.”

Jimin hangs up before Soobin can get another word out. “I,” the chaebol blinks at his phone screen dumbfounded, then sheepishly turns to Yeonjun, “Um... Are you in a rush to get home?”

Yeonjun shakes his head, “Not at all. Who was that?”

“That’s my hairstylist,” Soobin shifts gears to drive and whips out of the parking lot, trying to clear the embarrassment out of his throat, “I forgot I had an appointment scheduled for tonight.”

“Is he always this...?”

“Yes.” Yeonjun doesn’t even need to finish his sentence for Soobin to know what he’s talking about. “But he’s actually a really sweet guy.”

“Mm,” Yeonjun hums, clearly unconvinced, "I'm sure he is.”

The drive there is just under 20 minutes and Soobin all but throws his car into park. They enter the salon together and little golden bells that hang at the joint of the door announce their arrival. They stand in a pristine white salon with large leafy plants tucked into each corner, designer prints in frames covering the walls, and light hardwood floors. There are only four seats in the small studio space and all of them are empty. In fact, the entire salon seems desolate.

And expensive.

Very expensive.

“Look at that. The prince has finally arrived,” a doll-faced man who Yeonjun assumes is Jimin appears from the back room, donned in a black apron and shiny black Chelsea boots. Despite the apron covering the majority of his sweater, Yeonjun can tell that the brand is Balenciaga and is pretty sure it cost more than his tuition. Jimin takes in Yeonjun at Soobin’s side and the senior struggles not to curl inwards, “With a friend it seems.”

“I didn’t realize I had an appointment tonight,” Soobin bows apologetically, “I hope I didn’t delay any of your evening plans.”

The cotton-candy-haired stylist doesn't even acknowledge the chaebol. He instead squints at Yeonjun, lifting a comb to point, "What's your name?"

"Um," Yeonjun glances to Soobin who gives a little shrug, "Yeonjun."

"Have we met?”

“No?”

“I thought so; I would’ve remembered that bone structure,” Jimin says to himself more than the two other men, “So, Yeonjun-ssi, what are you hiding under that hood of yours?"

Yeonjun's fingers grab at the edges of his hood, forgetting it was on in the first place, "Nothing?"

"You mind pulling it down then?"

Yeonjun obeys, but not without another wary look at Soobin. It’s a tragic sight really; his hair has faded to a dull, brassy blonde since the original neon yellow dye job and his brown roots are terribly noticeable. The poor senior has been hiding behind hoods and hats until he can get his hands on some black box dye with his next paycheck. 

Jimin's lips twist in thought, hands on hip, "I don't typically take clients without an appointment, but it would be a criminal offense to let you leave without fixing _that_ ," he waves them both over, sighing out, "Come, sit. I'm going to call for backup and then we'll get to you after I'm done with Soobin-ah."

Yeonjun is quick to deny the service, "Oh, no, no, you don't-"

"Look, you’re already 20 minutes late and Haesong didn't tell me that he'd send in another head. I'd like to leave here at a reasonable hour. So come. _Sit_."

Suddenly Soobin is grasping Yeonjun's wrist and pulling him in the direction of the salon seats. "It's going to be fine. He's really good," Soobin promises Yeonjun who actively resists his guidance.

"No, you don't understand," Yeonjun whispers desperately, eyes blown wide, "I can't afford this-"

Soobin maneuvers Yeonjun in front of a chair and pushes down on his shoulders gently until he sits, "Don't worry about it," the chaebol lowers into the chair beside him, "The company will take care of it."

Before the older man can protest again, Jimin is approaching them, phone pressed between his cheek and shoulder, "Yeah. It's pretty dire. Bring Olaplex, like a _big_ bottle, and," the stylist gives Yeonjun a once over, "prayers. See you soon." While Yeonjun tries to process whatever that meant, Jimin hangs up the phone and stands behind Soobin's chair, "Okay, so, Haesong PD-nim asked for you to have a refreshed look. What do you think about color?"

"Color?” Soobin blinks rapidly, “I haven’t thought about it before.”

Jimin rakes the comb in his hand through Soobin’s hair, brushing out his overgrown bangs, “Hm... I think red is too harsh for you. And Mae already has blonde hair. What about orange?”

“Orange?” Soobin echos with a scrunched nose.

Yeonjun laughs, a loud, bright, bubbly noise that only comes out around Soobin, and Jimin’s mouth quirks to the side, “Okay, so orange is a no go. What do you think, Yeonjun-ssi?” 

"Oh, I’m not qualified to give that kind of advice,” Yeonjun shakes his head vigorously, hands crossing in front of him for emphasis.

“I only asked for your opinion,” Jimin parts Soobin’s hair down the middle, pinning down the sections with hair clips, “You don’t have to be an expert to say what you think,” the stylist sections off parts of Soobin’s head, pinning the hair in place, “So, tell me: what color would you like on our little Soobinnie?”

“Um... Maybe... Purple?” Yeonjun's voice lifts at the end from uncertainty, eyes skirting between the chaebol and the stylist who hums. 

Jimin moves around Soobin, opening the bottom cupboard of the vanity to retrieve a handful of materials. He starts to pour and mix the various items in a small black bowl, “That’s one option. What else are you thinking?”

“... Blue? But, like, not dark blue. Like, maybe, a light, kinda silvery-blue? Almost baby blue?” 

Jimin suddenly pauses, looking over to the senior, “Yeonjun-ssi.”

“Y-yes?”

“You’re a genius!” Yeonjun visibly relaxes at the praise. “Baby blue is always refreshing! Any complaints, Soobin-ah?” 

Soobin shrugs, smiling softly, “If Yeonjun hyung thinks it’ll look good, it's fine with me too.”

Yeonjun hopes his cheeks aren’t pink as Jimin nods in agreement, “It’s a good choice.” After having a color in mind, Jimin works quickly, painting down each section, wrapping it in foil, and setting up some weird octopus dryer thing with coils beaming directly at Soobin’s hair. No more than ten minutes could have passed by the time Jimin is waiting for the bleach to process. Before Yeonjun can compliment the hair stylist’s speed, the door jingles to alert them of someone entering. “Ah, that must be-”

“I’m here,” a deep baritone reaches the group of men and Soobin tries to turn to look only to be scolded by Jimin. The pout the chaebol gives in response makes Yeonjun lean over in his chair to coo and pinch at his cheeks teasingly. “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said it was dire.”

Upon hearing the person speak, Yeonjun's brain audibly whirs in an effort to process the fact that _the_ Kim Taehyung, _the_ number one face in the top 100 faces of Korea for the past four years, is walking towards him.

 _The_ Kim Taehyung.

T _he_ Kim Taehyung Yeonjun has drooled over since his freshman year of college.

 _The_ Kim Taehyung that was his lock screen for who knows how long.

 _The_ Kim Taehyung his mom compliments endlessly whenever he shows up on screen.

 _The_ Kim Taehyung who is even more perfect this close up.

His hair looks freshly washed and moisturized, nothing like Yeonjun's fried, lifeless locks. With each step, his hair bounces and Yeonjun bets it's just as soft as his oversized fluffy sweater. His eyes sparkle, literally, and he's looking at Yeonjun with them and Yeonjun thinks he could die pretty satisfied now.

“Yeah, tell me about it. Can you get the color remover on him? And put him under a dryer too.”

“Let me say hi at least,” the model quips at the hair stylist before facing Yeonjun.

_Is he..._

_Is he looking at Yeonjun?_

_Holy shit, he’s looking at Yeonjun._

_Holy shit, he’s walking towards Yeonjun._

_Holy fucking shit-_

Taehyung places the items in his hands onto the vanity in front of Yeonjun and offers a bow far too deep for a peasant like Yeonjun, “Hi; Kim Taehyung. What’s your name?"

_His name?_

_His name_?!

_Kim Taehyung just asked for his name!_

_He could've asked for Yeonjun to do just about anything, (and really Yeonjun means a n y t h i n g, he has no shame; this is Kim fucking Taehyung we’re talking about) but he just asked for HIS name!_

_... What is that again?_

“C-Choi Yeon-Yeonjun,” Yeonjun makes a damn near right angle with his returning bow, “It’s an h-honor to meet y-you!”

Taehyung laughs, warm and deep, and Yeonjun wants to be shy, but a wide smile soon follows, “Same here, Yeonjun-ssi. We’re going to get this sorted out,” he gestures to Yeonjun’s fading dye job, "But only if you trust me." The college senior nods, mouth slack from obvious awe. 

Soobin clears his throat noisily, bringing all pairs of eyes to him. Yeonjun faintly registers that the look on the chaebol's face is the same look he held around Minho; the senior files the thought away for later. 

“Ah, Soobinnieeeee,” Taehyung acknowledges Soobin with a shoulder pat, a fond smile on his lips, “You look cute with your hair pulled back like that.”

“Stoppp, hyungggg," Soobin attempts to hide his face in his hands, but Jimin is swatting at them to prevent the touch, "Ouch!"

"Serves you right," Jimin teases with a half grin, "You kicked me out of the top two."

"I didn't _make_ the list, hyung!"

"Neither did he,” Jimin shoves a thumb in Taehyun’s direction, “and he still has to make up for his rank with a dinner each year.”

Yeonjun tries not to show his shock when he finally recognizes Jimin from all of the makeover shows and after party photos. Even as out of touch as Yeonjun is, he has seen Jimin on so many billboards and mall ads, selling every hair product under the moon. He can’t believe he hadn’t made the connection faster. Yeonjun knows that the entertainment industry is fairly interconnected, but the three most handsome men dominating charts nationwide knowing each other on nickname basis? 

Absolute insanity.

“Anyways,” Taehyung says, hand dismissively waving off the comment from Jimin, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How is MCing?"

"I feel really inexperienced sometimes,” Soobin replies honestly, eyes seeming even wider than usual, “but I like the studio and staff a lot."

They set into a casual conversation with Jimin and Taehyung fluttering around Yeonjun as they coat his hair in a cold pasty white gel. Yeonjun tries not to stare at any of them in particular, keeping his gaze trained on his lap while they talk. “I’m surprised you moved out of Daegu," Taehyung comments after some time passes, adjusting a hooded dryer over Yeonjun’s head, "You really loved it there."

Yeonjun had known Soobin and Taehyung were both from Daegu; he hadn’t thought to put them together. 

“I still do,” Soobin admits softly, “I think about going back sometimes.”

“I visit family there every month. You should join me this time,” Taehyung offers, but Soobin is already shaking his head.

“It’s no fun going alone. My friends are all in Seoul now.”

“I’m sure if you ask someone to come with you, they would say yes.”

Jimin pipes up from the station just behind the others where he’s busy mixing dyes, “Yeonjun-ssi, where are you from?”

Yeonjun peeks at the pinked haired stylist through the reflection of the mirror, “Um, here.”

“Do you travel at all?”

“Not really; I mainly stay here.”

“You’ve never been to the countryside?”

“No, it’s pretty expensive.”

"Expensive?" Jimin barks out a laugh, "A day trip to Daegu is the furthest thing from expensive."

Yeonjun visibly recoils, chin dipping to his chest, "I guess we have different definitions of expensive."

Yeonjun feels panic set in when Jimin slows in his mixing, turning to face the senior. The comment doesn't go unnoticed by Taehyung either who glances at Yeonjun’s reflection in the mirror, “Ah, I know what’s going on. You're a workaholic, aren't you?”

Yeonjun's brow furrows, “I-”

“Yes!” Soobin interjects abruptly, “A huge workaholic. He never even asks for time off.”

“Then this would be a good trip for you!” Jimin insists, “Daegu is quiet and pretty and has stars! You’d like it if you haven’t been to the countryside before.”

Yeonjun makes a face that clearly conveys his dismay and Taehyung quickly adds, “I usually take a private train car. No fans or paparazzi for miles and miles.”

“-I’m not sure-”

“Soobinnie, you have a house out there, right?” Soobin nods in response to Taehyung’s inquiry. “Y’all could stay there for the weekend. And then catch the train back with me Sunday night.”

“-But I have work-”

“I’m sure your agent wouldn’t mind letting you off for one weekend,” Jimin comes over to them with two bowls in hand then moves the weird contraption away from Soobin’s hair to peel back the foil.

“Agent?” Yeonjun whispers under his breath, the term foreign to his vocabulary.

Of course Jimin and Taehyung expect Yeonjun to know how the entertainment world works. It's why Jimin sat Yeonjun in a chair without any further questions in the first place. It's probably the reason that the two older men also believe that taking a few days off for personal travel is a simple matter of calling Yeonjun’s agent. They probably aren't thinking about all the little things Yeonjun has to worry about when making major decisions like that, like how Yeonjun actually has to fulfill payments for his mom’s hospital bills, how he owes Kai extra on rent this month because he missed last month, and how he has to work a certain amount of hours just to keep his head above water. 

“Okay, let’s move to the bowl,” Jimin taps Soobin’s shoulders as a signal to stand and the chaebol rises to his feet. 

After the other two men reach the line of sinks at the back of the salon, Taehyung leans against the back of Yeonjun’s chair, "Y'know, you’re the first person I've seen Soobinnie around that isn't Beomgyu-ah or Ren-ssi." 

“What?” Yeonjun blurts out, a weird tingling starting at the crown of his head to his feet, “Really?”

“Mhm.” Although it’s only his reflection, the way that Taehyung stares at him makes Yeonjun too nervous to stare back, “... You should go.”

“I’m sorry?”

“To Daegu,” Taehyung says simply and Yeonjun doesn’t realize he’s frowning until the older man laughs, “It’s only a suggestion. I just have a feeling you’d enjoy it.”

“I have-”

“Responsibilities. I know. They’re probably extremely important,” Taehyung pulls the hooded dryer off of Yeonjun’s head, “But you can’t take care of any of them without taking care of yourself.”

Yeonjun glances towards the back of the salon, “That’s... That’s easier said than done.”

“It is. If you ask yourself this question though, I think it gets easier: who are you living for?” Jimin says something that makes Soobin laugh, broad shoulders lifting and dropping, feet tapping on the floor from amusement. Yeonjun can’t even control his smile that comes as a response. “Them or you?” The question is big. Too big for Yeonjun’s sleep-deprived brain to answer but thankfully Taehyung doesn’t expect a response, “... I used to live for them too. I almost lived my whole life for them. Then, one morning when I could barely get out of bed, I realized that they weren’t doing the same. It was only me; I was giving away my life because I thought that’s what they wanted. The truth is that if they truly love you,” Taehyung pauses and Yeonjun’s eyes flicker to meet the model’s in the mirror, “They’d want you to live for you too.”

The rest of the evening is a blur of hair dye, blow dryers and hiding reflections. Jimin and Taehyung refuse to let Soobin or Yeonjun peek at the mirrors or each other, insisting that the reveal has to be a surprise. Much to Yeonjun’s relief, there isn't much talking; as soon as the other two came over, Taehyung began playing music to fill the space, like he knew Yeonjun needed brood over his thoughts in peace. 

Eventually, when the sun is far gone and Yeonjun’s butt has gone numb in his chair, Jimin exclaims, "We're done!” The model and hair stylist pull both of the younger men onto their feet, placing them back to back. This close Yeonjun is able to smell the chaebol’s spiced cologne and feel his warmth and all of the tension drops from his shoulders. “One, two, three!”

They spin on their heels, both coming to a complete standstill when they register how close they are. Soobin’s 6’3 frame forces Yeonjun to have to tilt his head back, mouth in a soft ‘o’ as he takes in the sight of baby blue hair on the chaebol. “You,” is all he can manage to say.

“Look amazing,” Soobin’s own expression is tinged in awe, “You look- you look incredible, hyung.” Yeonjun feels his stomach drop, reminiscent of the same feeling he’d first encountered when they rode their first roller coaster together. He tints pink, head shaking, but Soobin isn’t done, “I’m serious! You do!”

_Yeonjun, you said you don’t have time for fairy tales, right?_

Yeonjun thinks about his last assignment deadline next week. He thinks about his upcoming shifts. He thinks about his mom.

“We should go,” Yeonjun abruptly offers, “To Daegu. It sounds like fun.”

Soobin’s eyes widen, surprise and excitement glittering in his chocolate hues, “Seriously? You want to go?”

_But what about daydreams?_

“Yeah,” Yeonjun breathes, heart fluttering when Soobin breaks into a smile so wide that Yeonjun is sure his cheeks ache, “I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohmygvgrfebhjdwaknlairfueoadwps I've been screaming for so long bc HOW DID NORTH FACE GET 11K HITS!?!??!?! 😭😭 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 💜 
> 
> I know there are large gaps between each update since I write in my free time (and professors make sure I have basically none of it :")) but the reassurance from you all has kept the writing process therapeutic and I have way more fun developing the characters that way so thank you for being so patient!
> 
> every single comment, bookmark (yes I read those too), twitter dm and kudos means so much to me. I love to read y'alls thoughts and reactions and knowing that so many of you are willing to share them makes me feel like I'm on top of the world! please continue to comment or message me and I will do my best to respond to them all! I hope that each future update will impress you all and that my other works are also fulfilling.
> 
> see you soon! stay safe and warm <3


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